The 325ft-long underwater ruin (surrounded by a circle of debris) sits in relatively shallow water at around 25ft, and it serves as a hotel and way station for all sorts of sea life, from turtles to nurse sharks, making this one of the Key’s most snorkel-friendly shipwrecks. The crooked reef has been the bane of many a ship, including the City of Washington, which ran aground and sank here in 1917.
#WEST MARINE KEY LARGO FLORIDA SERIES#
Key Largo is the gateway to the reefs and shoals of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary © Image Source / Getty Images Enter the underwater world of Elbow ReefĮlbow Reef is a series of spur and groove coral formations located about 6 nautical miles southeast of Key Largo. Still, if you can find a willing captain and a clear day, this is some of the finest snorkeling in the Lower 48. The snorkeling here is also highly weather-dependent, and tour companies will be more cautious coming this far offshore in choppy conditions. The drawbacks? As mentioned above, Molasses Reef is popular – there are some 32 mooring buoys for snorkeling boats here. The reef, perhaps most famous for its brain coral, is located about 6 miles offshore, and thus attracts a wider variety of bigger marine fauna, including a good number of sea turtles. Molasses Reef is the most visited reef in the Keys, and a highlight of any snorkeling trip to the islands. Slow down for the scenery at Molasses Reef The statue is a replica of the Christ of the Abyss sculpture near Portofino in Italy. The statue sits in about 25ft of water, and is often surrounded by barracuda and rays, both of which are docile around snorkelers and divers. What remains decidedly wet at Dry Rocks is a 9ft statue of Jesus known as the Christ of the Deep, intentionally placed here in 1965. What’s in a name? This is an area of so-called "spur and groove" reefs – basically, coral canyons – and the tops of the formations can be exposed at low tide. More experienced snorkelers will want to swim out to the remains of an 18th-century Spanish shipwreck (about 100ft offshore by the park), or try some more ambitious spots around Key Largo.Ī snorkeler swims past the Statue of Christ of the Deep © Getty Images / Image Source Get wet at Dry Rocks This is sandy bottom shore snorkeling – great for younger kids, beginners, or those who aren’t confident swimmers. You can walk to two snorkeling beaches in the park, but you won’t be spotting any coral, although there will be fish darting around. In fact, that’s why we include the park here – because almost everyone who comes to Key Largo comes to Pennekamp. The nation's first underwater park first opened in 1963, and it's still packing in tourists today. The most popular snorkeling destination in Key Largo, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is just shy of 60 years old. Explore John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park from land Touching coral, or even the force of a strong kick, can irreparably damage the reef. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.Also note that some local snorkel sights have a relatively shallow bottom, so follow proper snorkeling etiquette and keep your feet and flippers as far from the coral as possible. MLS Internet Data Exchange (IDX) information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing, and that the data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the Florida Keys Board of Realtors.Ĭopyright Central Listing Service at Ocean Reef, Inc. The listing broker's offer of compensation is made to participants of BeachesMLS, where the listing is filed, as well as participants of MLSs participating in MLSAdvantage or a data share with BeachesMLS. Information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Copyright 2023 Beaches Multiple Listing Service, Inc.
This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed. The listing broker’s offer of compensation is made only to participants of the MLS where the listing is filed.Īll listings featuring the BMLS logo are provided by Beaches MLS, Inc. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. IDX information is provided exclusively for personal, non-commercial use, and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
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