Welcome to the “Diving Capital of the World,” where unparalleled visibility, living coral communities, and a great diversity of aquatic species attracts world-class divers and novice snorkelers each year. Warmed and cleaned by the warm currents of the Gulf Stream, the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida Keys supports the only living coral reef in North America, and one of the world’s most active and vibrant. While you drift through schools of brightly colored tropical fish you’ll happen upon the occasional shark, ray, Goliath Grouper, or even a whale – but the Keys creatures are pretty gentle and passive, so there’s no need for worry. Over 6,000 species swim through these clear waters, including moray eels, bottlenose dolphin, blue marlin, hammerhead and nurse sharks. Leave your everyday life behind and dive into the natural beauty of the Florida Keys coral reefs.

Florida Keys Diving

Scuba Diving

The world is truly your oyster when you’re a certified diver exploring the bounty of the Florida Keys waters. You can bring your own gear or rent it here – the Keys boast the highest concentration of dive shops in the world – and you can charter a boat, rent a boat, or bring your own. In fact, you can even get certified at many dive shops, or increase or refresh your skills.

The reefs and wrecks surrounding the Keys lie at depths ranging from surface to over 300 feet, requiring experience levels from novice to expert deep diver. The USS Wilkes-Barre, a dive wreck both beautiful and dangerous, rests at 320 feet off the Lower Keys and attracts large whales and sharks. Many shallow dives become completely new when conducted after the sun has set – many charters offer night dives, and they’re a great way to see the nocturnal species that daylight divers miss.

Snorkeling, Hookah Diving, & Touring

In the Florida Keys, you don’t even need a boat to find a fine spot to snorkel. Offshore of many beaches and just about anywhere in Key Largo’s John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park you’ll find ideal shallow-water reef conditions. The Grecian Rocks are actually often halfway above water, making this an ideal spot for first-timers and families.

If you’ve mastered the snorkel but aren’t ready for the commitment of a scuba certification, consider hookah diving. Think of yourself as a Jules Verne character, tethered to your charter boat by a long lead of air hose but free to explore the depths for about two hours without ever having to surface.

Of course, if you don’t want to get wet at all you can still experience the aquatic splendor of the Florida Keys seas by boarding one of the island’s many glass bottom boats. Generally speaking, the farther north you are the better, but a sunset glass bottom cruise off Key West is never a bad idea, either.

Detailed Descriptions of the Most Popular Florida Keys Reefs, by location

Key Largo & Tavernier:

Molasses Reef

Possibly the most popular dive site in the world, Molasses Reef displays a wide variety of coral types and is often frequented by large sea turtles. Look for the remnants of the Windlass (which was carrying molasses on the day of its doom) near mooring buoy #8. Molasses Reef is appropriate for snorkelers and divers since depths range between several to 50 feet.

Christ of the Deep

Another amazingly visited spot is the bronze Christ of the Deep statue in the Key Largo Dry Rocks reef, a twin to the Christ of the Abysses submerged off the coast of Italy. It rests in 25 feet of water and attracts over 200 couples yearly who say their wedding vows beneath the waves. Brain coral populate the spot, but the reef has been subjected to some wear and tear due to its popularity.

French Reef

The intricate coral spurs of French Reef mesh together to form a labyrinth of caves, arches, and canyons filled with moray eels and some pelagic species. Since depths range from very shallow to approximately 100 feet, this site draws divers, snorkelers, and plenty of sea life.

The Elbow – Key Largo

Three different wrecks dot the sands of The Elbow, from The Civil War Wreck, a steamer enveloped in elkhorn coral, to the City of Washington sailboat. The coral spurs here are deep and attract turtles, angelfish, and jacks. The Elbow is ideal for snorkelers, beginning divers, and underwater photographers, who benefit from the high degree of visibility for which this site is known.

Islamorada & the Upper Keys:

Alligator Reef – Islamorada

The coral beds that surround the USS Alligator, an anti-pirate man-of-war gunship that ran aground in the 1800s, support large numbers of barracuda and parrotfish, and snappish damselfish. Depths range from 8 to 40 feet, and a tower marks the site.

Photo of Florida Keys Sea Turtle

Little Conch Reef

A 1700s hurricane sank El Infante, a Spanish galleon, approximately 75 yards southwest of the main reef. Moray eels peek out from fields of tube sponges and fan coral, which lie at depths between 20 and 38 feet.

Marathon & the Middle Keys:

Sombrero Reef

Sombrero is known for its lovely and newly renovated beach, its lighthouse, and the 8-foot coral arch that forms the centerpiece of this reef. It’s a really beautiful and sometimes overlooked spot that’s a favorite of underseas photographers.

Thunderbolt

If you’d like to dive a wreck, the 188-foot Thunderbolt, a one-time research ship, is a great opportunity. It’s been “reconditioned” for the enjoyment of divers (i.e., no windows or doors remain), and the stairs and propellers are still intact on this upright wreck.

Big Pine & the Lower Keys:

Looe Key Reef National Marine Sanctuary

No diver should skip Looe Key – not only it is beautiful, but during July there’s a very unique attraction: the Annual Underwater Music Festival, when music is broadcast through the waves. The reef is named for the British ship that grounded here in 1744, the HMS Looe, though it has mostly disintegrated. An anchor remains, though, as do a vast selection of aquatic Keys inhabitants. Spiny lobsters are prevalent (and protected), and ensconced in a landscape of sea fans, turtles, and rays.

Adolphus Busch

Mind you don’t get swallowed by an infamous (but typically harmless) Goliath Grouper as you swim through this wreck. Several Jewfish call the Adolphus their home, which lies beneath 100 feet of water.

American Shoal

Snorkelers enjoy a glimpse of the Keys’ more elusive aquatic inhabitants, such as jellyfish and octopus, at this lightly trafficked reef. It’s marked by a lighthouse and named for the resident wreck.

Key West:

Marquesas Keys – 22 miles west of Key West

Play “Survivor” on the Marquesas, a National Wilderness Area and bird sanctuary. Snorkelers enjoy the coral spurs at depths between 5 and 35 feet just offshore of this Atlantic atoll.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Basics

For the longevity of the corals, please don’t touch or disturb them. It’s illegal to remove anything from the Keys waters (excepting fish, with a license & within regulations, and including conchs, coral, and tropical fish). If you have any questions regarding the regulations, contact the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at 305-743-2437.