The Florida Keys is home to the United States’ only living coral barrier reef, making it an ideal scuba diving destination. From pristine, shallow coral reefs to epic wreck dives, the Keys offers something for every level of diver.
Which Florida key is best for scuba diving?
Key Largo dubs itself the “Dive Capital of the World“, and yes, it is home to some of the most renown dive sites in the Florida Keys. It is also where John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is located, the country’s first undersea park. It includes approximately 70 nautical square miles of adjacent Atlantic Ocean waters.
What is the best time to scuba dive in the Florida Keys?
When to Go. The Keys are essentially open for diving year-round, however the winter season does bring with it lower water temperatures — they range from the mid 70s to the mid 80s throughout the year — plus choppier seas and the possibility of lower visibility.
Is Key West or Key Largo better for scuba diving?
When it comes to snorkeling and diving, Key West has some great diving, but the snorkeling and diving around Key Largo surpass the opportunities around the southernmost Key by far. The reefs around both islands are incredibly healthy, beautiful, and mostly easy to access.
Is Florida Keys good for scuba diving? – Related Questions
Are there saltwater crocodiles in Key Largo?
— For years, American crocodiles have be seen lounging, mouths agape, on boat ramps in the Key Largo neighborhood of Stillwright Point.
Which Florida Key has the bluest water?
Fort Zachary Taylor Park Beach, Key West
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is a National Historic Landmark that offers some of the clearest blue waters for snorkeling and diving in Key West.
Is Key Largo good for scuba diving?
Key Largo is a dream dive destination where well-preserved natural coral reefs lie only a few miles from the shore – shallow reefs for snorkelers and deeper coral-encrusted wrecks for experienced divers. A perfect paradise for both divers and snorkelers.
How good is diving in Key Largo?
The waters of Key Largo are filled with various types of coral, marine life, and many other surprises. Water visibility is generally really good. Average visibility ranges from 40-100+ feet. Reef dives are generally 30-50 feet deep while wreck dives are 70-130+ feet.
How is the scuba diving in Key Largo?
The scuba diving in Key Largo is an amazing experience that every scuba diver should try. Most the year water temperatures at depth are above 80 degrees. Visibility varies between dive sites and changes daily. On good day visibility can exceed 100 feet, on average its at least 35 feet.
Why is Key Largo the dive capital of the world?
Key Largo, Florida is known as the scuba diving capital of the world. This is because there is a very large amount of dive sites easily accessible to divers. The Florida Keys is located along the 3rd largest barrier reef in the world.
What is the smell in Key Largo?
Visitors often worry that there is sewer leak, or some other contaminate in the water. Bad smells in the Florida Keys are usually from rotting sargassum seaweed and other organic matter on beaches, in the ocean and on the seafloor.
What year will the Florida Keys be underwater?
Sea level rise projections from the Interagency Sea Level Rise Scenario Tool (published by NASA’s Sea Level Change Team) indicate that Key West could experience between 0.45 and 2.16 meters (1 and 7 feet) of sea level rise by 2100.
Why are there no waves in Key Largo?
The Keys has the longest living coral reef in America, running 221 miles from Key Largo FL and continuing southwest to the Dry Tortugas National Park. The coral reefs protection keeps the waves from crashing ashore, which causes erosion. This also means the water inshore of the coral reefs is shallower, and calmer.
Are there sharks in Key Largo?
We see a number of different types of sharks in Key Largo, mainly Reef Sharks, Nurse sharks and some Bull sharks. There are however visitors to our shores that are a little larger. Great Whites are known to move up and down the east coast of the US from Maine to Key West.
Why does it stink in the Florida Keys?
That ubiquitous smell is decaying sargassum, islands of floating, brown sea algae that is piling up along the beaches of Key West, the Florida peninsula, Mexico and other Caribbean islands. Happens every summer when the winds and currents come from the south.
Are there alligators on Key Largo?
The answer is yes, there are definitely alligators in the Florida Keys. What is this? The type of alligator present in the swamps, ponds, rivers, and lakes of the Keys is the common American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). People often confuse alligators with crocodiles, but there are both in the Florida Keys.
What month are alligators most active in Florida?
From April to June, gators all across Florida will be more active with the start of the mating season. During these months, you are much more likely to see alligators. In fact, you might even spot one in your backyard or the pond across the street.
What island is infested with alligators?
Ramree Island (Burmese: ရမ်းဗြဲကျွန်း; also spelled Yanbye Island) is an island off the coast of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma).
Are there pythons in the Florida Keys?
A number of Burmese pythons have been found on Key Largo, and a few in the Lower Keys.
Are there black mambas in Florida?
They are more gray or dark brown, and secondly, black mambas do not live in Florida. Black mambas get their name from the black inside of their mouths, and they live in sub-Saharan Africa.