Good snorkeling off the keys

[barderer]

Guys and Gals,

Can anyone familiar with the Key Largo/Keys area give some good recommendation for some snorkeling spots where one can swim or walk to the the reef / semi-reef? I would like to find a nice spot where we won't have to charter a boat. Of course, and recommendations on "real deal" dive spots are also appreciated.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Grunt]

We typically just drove and found little hidden spots to pull off the side of the road and snorkel. (Marathon/Big Pine) Looe Key is wonderful, but you'd need to hop on a boat to get to the preserve. Worth the experience though imo.

 

[streetjudge79]

At mile marker 80 there was a hotel there on the ocean side. Behind there was a lot of rocks about 100 yards out that i used to snorkel. I think it might be private property now, it used to be the Ocean 80 hotel.

 

[awilson500]

Going to Key Largo next week. How far out is the preserve? I will have a boat can we drive out there on our own boat and snorkel?

 

[Masoch]

I was just in the Keys and went snorkeling in the John Pennekamp sanctuary (off Key Largo) on Tuesday -- you can poke around PhotoBucket for some pics.

Here are some of my favourites:

My family and just hopped on a tour boat -- for the four of us including equipment, it was ~180 for close to a couple hours of snorkeling time.

The reef is /massively/ degraded, mind you. It's almost entirely softies, and I saw very, very few colonies of acropora, and none bigger than a grapefruit. If you poke through the pictures, however, you can see that the rubble field and seagrass bed are simply covered in coral skeletons

Don't get me wrong, it was still awesome to see -- and the fish were stunning -- but it might not be what you're expecting.

 

[lbheyman]

If you want to dive check with Silent World dive center. I have done a few trips with them. They have two boats that go out, one goes to the wrecks and the other stays in on the reefs. If you have the desire, I would highly recommend the Spiegel Grove! Great dive, not a lot of coral life yet but it is a real good dive!

 

[awilson500]

What kind of camera did you use????

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14672713#post14672713 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Masoch
I was just in the Keys and went snorkeling in the John Pennekamp sanctuary (off Key Largo) on Tuesday -- you can poke around PhotoBucket for some pics.

Here are some of my favourites:

My family and just hopped on a tour boat -- for the four of us including equipment, it was ~180 for close to a couple hours of snorkeling time.

The reef is /massively/ degraded, mind you. It's almost entirely softies, and I saw very, very few colonies of acropora, and none bigger than a grapefruit. If you poke through the pictures, however, you can see that the rubble field and seagrass bed are simply covered in coral skeletons

Don't get me wrong, it was still awesome to see -- and the fish were stunning -- but it might not be what you're expecting.

 

[Masoch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14676056#post14676056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by awilson500
What kind of camera did you use????

A four year-old Fuji Finepix F10 with an EBayed underwater housing for $75