Key West is blessed with abundant coral and marine life which offers snorkelers and divers a world-class experience. On local reefs, the grouper and barracuda prowl the gullies and coral fingers, and the outer ledges drop to more than 18 meters/60 feet.
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 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.
Do I need a wetsuit to dive in Key West?
Most people don’t even need wetsuits for snorkeling or diving since your bodies can adjust to the cooler waters surprisingly fast. (But wetsuits definitely are available close to the various Key West diving and snorkeling trips).
Is Key West good for scuba diving? – Related Questions
Are sharks a problem in Key West?
It’s no guarantee that you’ll spot a shark while snorkeling in Key West, but it happens more than you might think. We see sharks at the reef at least once a week, and probably more often than that!
Can a shark bite through a wetsuit?
The wetsuits are made of a “high tech polymer, the same material used to make tow ropes for pulling ships,” says Shark Stop inventor Hayden Burford. And while a shark’s bite might penetrate the fabric, it will only cause small puncture wounds as opposed to the brutal injuries those attacked by sharks normally sustain.
Do you need a wetsuit to dive in Florida Keys?
Exposure Suit – You’ll want to wear a full wetsuit in winter, and at least a skin or shorty the rest of the year. The temps are typical for this part of the Caribbean: mid- 70Fs in winter, mid 80Fs in summer. The exposure suit you decide to pack depends on the season and your susceptibility to the cold.
Do you need a wetsuit to scuba dive in Florida?
As we get in to our colder seasons here in Florida, wearing a wetsuit while diving is necessary as water temperatures drop about 10 to 15 degrees. There are many different factors that go into buying a wetsuit including the style of suit, the thickness, and color.
Are there saltwater alligators in Key West?
Probably not. There’s simply not enough fresh water in Key West, which has no lakes, no rivers, and gets significantly less rainfall than the Upper Keys, Everglades, or Miami. Occasionally, Key West gets American Crocodiles.
How deep is the water around Key West?
The harbor is entered through breaks in the reef by several principal channels with depths of 13 to 34 feet, and by several minor channels. Key West, on the island of the same name near the western end of the Florida Keys, is a winter resort.
Can you see Cuba from Key West?
The answer the Americans do not like is “no, you cannot see Cuba from Key West. “ The problem is that the earth, being round, curves and Cuba, which is about 90 miles from Key West, falls below the horizon when you look towards it from Key West.
Why is Key West water so blue?
Our shores have shallow waters often resulting in sandbars, so the sun can reflect off the white sea floors and the surrounding microscopic plankton, which creates the gradient effect of clear-to-emerald-to azure-to-navy waters as you progress further out into the Gulf.
Where is the bluest water in Key West?
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.
Why is there no beach in Key West?
The lack of soft, white sand shoreline in Key West is the result of a beautiful live coral reef that extends from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas National Park. The coral reef prevents natural beach formation because the waves don’t crash onshore as you might see in Miami beach.
Why is Key West water brown?
Sargassum is a brown marine algae, commonly known as seaweed. It grows in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
What is the prettiest beach in Key West?
Best beaches in Key West
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. One of the best beaches in Key West is located inside Fort Zachary Taylor Park, the southernmost state park in the country.
- Clarence S. Higgs Memorial Beach Park.
- Dry Tortugas National Park.
- Smathers Beach.
- South Beach.
- Bahia Honda State Park.
Can you drink on beaches in Key West?
No alcohol, please. The Florida Keys & Key West do enforce open container laws that prohibit open containers of alcohol on most public beaches, parks and streets; including world-famous Duval Street.
Why is Key West so special?
Key West, the southernmost point in the United States, is famous for watersports, lively nightlife, beaches, historic sites and its pastel, conch-style architechture.
Can you swim in the ocean at Key West?
Yes, Key West has several swimmable beaches. The island is located in the Florida Keys, which is known for its clear blue waters. Some of the best beaches for swimming include Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach, and Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. What is this?
Where is the clearest water in Key West?
For The Clearest Beaches Visit Fort Zachary Taylor Beach
For you beach purists out there, Fort Zachary Taylor Beach is one of the only natural beaches in the Keys. At Fort Zach, you won’t find the same soft white sand that other beaches brought in from the Caribbean.