Postcard of “Scenic Photo Sub No. 3” at Silver Springs. In the years before SCUBA gear was available, visitors could ride in “photo sub” boats to view or photograph the underwater beauty of the springs and river. In 1944, Private First Class John Ott based at the Army Air Forces Tactical Center in Orlando (now Orlando Executive Airport) visited Silver Springs and rode a photo sub. Private Ott described his experience in a note to his mother this way: “In this type of boat one goes down steps to the bottom of the boat which is about 4-5 feet below the water level. Here one sits and looks through the side of the boat by means of port holes. Many photos are snapped on these boats but not all of them are of the subterranean wonders, as you can see on the other side” (SRM2009-2-15).