Scuba Dive

I often make the mistake of assuming that the best dive destinations require long plane flights and significant concessions in topside amenities.  The more I learn about the Florida Keys, however, the more wrong I turn out to be.  I originally set out to write a single post about diving in the Keys, but quickly realized that this scuba story is much too fantastic to tell in just one page. 

The 120-mile Florida Keys island chain is home to the continental United States’ only living-coral barrier reef with more than 600 varieties of fish and more than 500 wrecks.  The Keys begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. In 1990, the U.S. government established the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to protect the marine habitat throughout the islands, which has promoted healthy reefs and abundant fish.  Diving there is easy, with visibility up to 120 feet and mooring buoys at almost every dive site, all of which are a short boat ride from shore.

Since the Keys are laid out in a long line that stretches down Route 1, it is helpful to think of them in sections from north to south: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and the Lower Keys/Key West.  Though they all boast crystal clear water and topside fun, each part has unique diving opportunities to enjoy.

Part 1: Key Largo – Route 1 Mile Marker 112 – 90

Key Largo is only about an hour drive from Miami, making it perfect for travelers seeking instant gratification after touching down.  There is plenty of activity topside to keep a visitor busy.  Sport fishing is big there, with opportunities to catch sailfish offshore, bonefish along the Atlantic shallows, or redfish and tarpon in Florida Bay.  Also, Key Largo’s proximity to the Everglades makes it a great destination for kayakers, birders and other eco-tourists.  If shopping is more your thing, there a tons of quaint shops in the little beach villages along Route 1, many of which sell artwork and local crafts.

Since 1960, Key Largo has been promoting marine conservation by limiting certain kinds of fishing and protecting its reef, so it is no wonder that the sea life is so prolific there.  Key Largo diving encompasses coral reefs, artificial reefs / wrecks, ledges, walls and centuries old shipwrecks.  Depths range from 18-120 feet.  The normal weather is sunny and warm with air temperature in the mid 80’s and water temperature ranging from the mid 80’s in the summer to the low 70’s in the winter. Though there are several deep-water sites, a major draw for the Largo reefs is the shallow depths, where a diver can get ample bottom time to study the area’s extensive variety of fish species.

Key Largo has plenty of sites to keep a diver busy for days.  A few of the more notable spots include:

Spiegel Grove Wreck – Ask a diver to name one artificial reef off the Florida coast, and chances are the Spiegel Grove will come to mind.  This 510-foot Navy transport ship was sunk in June 2002 as another intentional addition to the Key Largo area’s impressive list of shipwrecks.  After more than three years resting on its starboard side, waves from Hurricane Dennis pushed the ship into an upright position, where it still rests today at a depth of 45 to 130 feet.  Marine growth is coming along nicely, but the star of the show is still the ship itself, a positively enormous craft that really takes your breath away when it comes into view.

The Elbow – This spur and groove formation reef boasts healthy corals and plenty of nooks and crannies for critters to shelter.  Though it is shallow, just 12-35 feet, divers find the abundant coral and multitude of fish hold their attention quite well.  The only way you could miss the site’s tons of resident moray eels and barracuda is if you stayed on the dive boat.  Several wrecks at this site, including a 752 ton Civil War –era steamer sunk in 1866, add to the location’s appeal.

Key Largo Dry Rocks – The well-photographed Statue of Christ of the Abyss lifts its arms toward the surface at this shallow site, perhaps the most famous spot in the Key Largo Marine Sanctuary.  The statue was cast in Italy and donated to the Underwater Society of America by Egidi Cressi, an Italian industrialist and diving equipment manufacturer.  Many divers come to see and photograph the bronze statue, but the site has natural wonders to offer as well, such as incredible specimens of brain coral and classic coral fingers teeming with marine life.

The Benwood – This wreck was an English-built cargo vessel that sunk in 1942 during WWII.  The stern lies in extremely shallow water, with the bow reaching down to about 45 feet.  There isn’t much coral growth here, but the wreck itself is interesting to explore, and divers are frequently accompanied by huge schools of grunt and porkfish.

Molasses Reef – This spur and groove reef drops to 55 feet in water made crystal clear by the Gulf Stream.  High profile coral heads and massive congregates of tropical marine life define this popular reef.  Almost any tropical marine flora and fauna you can name can be found here.

Bibb and Duane Wrecks – These twin 327-foot US Coast Guard cutters were sunk intentionally as dive attractions in 1987 as part of an artificial reef program sponsored by the Keys Association of Dive Operators.  The Duane lies upright with a slight list to starboard at a depth of about 100 ft. The Bibb overturned while sinking and lies on her starboard side starting at 95 feet.  Both are now are completely covered in colorful coral and gorgonians.  Divers beware, however, as swift currents sometimes sweep this site, taking it from an intermediate dive to an advanced one.