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.
Is diving better in Key Largo or Key West?
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.
Which Florida key is best for scuba?
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.
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.
Is Key Largo good for scuba diving? – Related Questions
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.
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.
What is the dive capital of the world?
Florida: Dive Capital of the World
A must-visit area for many divers is the underwater playground of the Florida Keys. Described as the dive capital of the world, these islands hold the world’s third-largest barrier reef, thousands of mangrove-fringed islands and extensive seagrass beds.
Why is Key Largo famous?
Key Largo is the first of the fabulous Florida Keys and is the self-proclaimed Dive Capital of the World. It is home to the world’s largest artificial reef, the 510-foot USS Spiegel Grove, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the African Queen. Everglades National Park is just a short trip away from Key Largo.
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.
How many years until the Florida Keys are underwater?
By 2100, large swaths of coastal land in Florida will be permanently submerged.
Why are there no beaches in the Keys?
The Keys don’t have wide sandy beaches because the coral reefs we enjoy as snorkelers and scuba divers prevent the erosion and sand from building up along the shore. So while the beaches aren’t what make the Keys special, there are still some pretty special beaches in the Keys.
Are there alligators or crocodiles in Key Largo?
If you’ve ever driven down US 1 to the Florida Keys and noticed the sign for Lake Surprise before you reach Key Largo, here’s the surprise: it’s home to American crocodiles!
Are there sharks off the Florida Keys?
Reef sharks make their home near Key West, Florida, because of the coral reefs to be found there. That’s where they find their food, munching along on fish, crustaceans, octopus, and squid. There are many different types of reef sharks and they include: Blacktip Reef Shark.
Are there crocodiles in the Florida Keys?
The crocodiles you will find in the Florida Keys play a role in the delicate Everglades ecosystem, preying on reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals. While the crocodile population in the Florida Keys may be small in numbers, these unique creatures have captivated the interest of researchers and civilians alike.
Is there alligators in the Keys?
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.
Are there great whites in the Keys?
Great whites in the Florida Keys can be a rare sight. The large migratory predators prefer cooler water and are just passing through when they’re spotted in South Florida. But when they do show up, most anglers, divers and others on the water view it as a treat.
Where is the bluest water in the Keys?
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.
Are there bull 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.
Are there sea lions in the Keys?
Immerse yourself in the Florida Keys Swim with Sea Lion program where you will have an unique way to experience these fun loving, intelligent and fascinating animals. The interaction takes place in a natural salt water lagoon where participants do trained behaviors with a sea lion such as hoop jumps and hugs.
Are there sea snakes in the Keys?
Water snakes are harmless, nonvenomous native snakes that typically inhabit wet areas. There are several species of water snake common to peninsular Florida. Banded water snakes inhabit nearly all freshwater habitats throughout Florida except the Keys.