Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
The Florida Keys are islands that were once a tropical reef. The islands formed over thousands of years as ocean currents pushed sand and sediment over the reef. Today, an new reef has formed, that runs the length of the keys. The new reef actually serves a protective barrier for the islands. It is the third largest barrier reef in the world and a unique habitat for sea-life. There are several local outfitters on each of the main island that offer daily Scuba diving excursions to certified divers. Many of them also offer Scuba certification courses. There are unique diving experiences that lie just offshore of every island. This is a comprehensive list of the sites and their respective dive outfitters.
Key Largo
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Dry Rocks, North Dry Rocks and The Horseshoe
Dry Rocks, North Dry Rocks and the Horseshoe are all in very shallow waters, only 15 -20 feet deep. These areas are less populated than other near-by dive spots and known for their brilliantly colored corals, dive thru spots and caves. These locations are great for taking underwater photography. This is also an excellent place to go, if you have both divers and snorkelers onboard.
Grecian Rocks & The Christ Statue
This is the most popular dive destination in Key Largo, and great for novice divers. It contains the underwater statue called The Christ of the Abyss that is located in waters only 24 feet deep and surrounded by a patch reef on a white sandy bottom. The area is known for it’s very large brain corals and sea rods and whips.
The Elbow
The Elbow is a slightly deeper reef, 30 – 45 feet deep, known for it’s magnificent large coral heads and many shipwrecks that include the City of Washington, Mike’s, Tonnawonda and Train Car wreck. There are lots of large animals including Goliath Groupers, Barracuda, Sharks and Green Moray eels. This site has long been popularized by Captain Slate of Atlantis Dive Center, as he coaxes the large green morays out of hiding for divers to photograph.
The Spiegel Grove
The Spiegel is US Navy ship 510 feet in length that was purposefully sunk to create an artificial reef. Her sinking effort was botched and she sunk on her starboard side in deep waters, but thanks to Hurricane Dennis in 2005, the ship was miraculously rolled upright and pushed into shallower water. The depth to the top of the ship is 70 feet, the best views of the ship are between 70 and 90 feet deep. This is considered an advance dive.
The Benwood
This is a great shipwreck dive for novice divers. The wreck lies in 25 – 45 feet of water. The ship sank in WWII after running into another ship. She was salvaged and used as target practice by the Air Force. It has since been dynamited after becoming a navigation hazard. The wreck attracts large schools of fish and Goliath Groupers.
French Reef
This is another shallow reef, in waters 15 – 40 feet deep. This area is known for it’s many swim throughs. It’s an excellent place to go if you have both divers and snorkelers onboard. It’s also home to very large Spotted Eagle Rays and Hammerhead and Black Tip sharks.
The Bibb and The Duane
These two shipwrecks are located near each other in deeper waters, over 100 feet, with strong currents and are considered advanced dives.
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Tavernier/Islamorada
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Pickles Reef
This is the site of a civil war era wreck. It is known for its many dry cement barrels that were being shipped on a barge. They looked to divers like pickle barrels which gave rise to the name. The waters here are very shallow from 6 – 30 feet, and very clear which makes this an excellent spot for underwater photography. Yet another excellent place to go, if you have both divers and snorkelers onboard.
Snapper Ledge
This is a very popular novice dive site, in shallow waters, 20 – 25 feet deep. It is known for its abundance of yellowtail snapper. The schools of fish here are typically very thick and you can also expect to see Hogfish, Sea urchins,
Conch Reef and Wall
This site may be the only true wall diving location in the keys. The top of the wall is in about 50 feet of water and it slopes down to over 100 feet. It is a great place to see rays and larger reef sharks.
Hens & Chickens
Hen & Chickens is a group of patch reefs whose coral formations from the air appear to radiate outwards from the center like a mother hen surrounded by chickens, hence the name. This reef is in shallow waters with lots of brain and star coral mounds and sea fans so abundant, it’s like a forest of purple trees.
The Adolphus Wreck
The Adolphus Busch was intentionally sunk in 1998 to create an artificial reef system. She is 110 feet long and sits intact and upright in 100-feet of water.
Marathon
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Sombrero Reef
The Sombrero Reef extends from the base of the Sombrero Key Lighthouse. This protected reef is the most popular dive site in the middle keys. The shallow depths allow divers of all skills to enjoy this dive spot.
Yellow Rocks
Yellow Rocks, about three and a half miles off Key Colony Beach, is a set of ledges running east and west for more than 200 yards, rising about twelve feet from the bottom. The ledges are a great place to find lobsters.
Delta Shoals
Delta Shoals is a network of coral canyons jutting seaward from a sandy shoal. This is an excellent place to go if you have both divers and snorkelers onboard.
Key West
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The Thunderbolt Wreck
This 188-foot military ship is the jewel of the Marathon wreck fleet. Sunk intentionally as a dive attraction in March 1986, she now sits perfectly upright in 115 feet of water offering 45 feet of relief.
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