Snorkeling The Florida Keys & Sombrero Reef, Photos too

[owenspackman]

I was lucky enough to have spent the past week vacationing in Islamorada, FL. We spent most of our time snorkeling off the beaches up and down the coast, off the dock at our hotel and also took a snorkeling charter trip out to Sombrero Reef.

This was my first time snorkeling and I have to say, although Sombrero reef was just astounding and beautiful, I had more fun and felt more comfortable searching waters just off the beaches, this is where we came across some wonderful stuff.

I took my SLR along and used a waterproof case I found online, nothing too fancy, just something that kept it dry while swimming and submerged. It worked well enough. The photos were all taken without using any view finder due to limitations of the case and the photos from Sombrero Reef really didn't come out as well I had a hoped due to the distance the subjects were from the camera.

Here's a collection of the photos, please feel free to ID some of the wonderful animals I was able to capture as I'm sure you know them far better than myself!

On the Rock at Sombrero Beach

Mangroves growing from the rocks on the shoreline

At the end of 7 Mile Bridge

Some type of Jellyfish?

- Off the Dock at our Islamorada Hotel -

 

[owenspackman]

- Off the Dock at our Islamorada Hotel -

Wrasse and Tang ID?

ID?

Lobster Family

These guys were pretty common

 

[owenspackman]

- Off the Dock at our Islamorada Hotel -

Stingray

Adult Barracuda

Baby Barracuda

- Sombrero Reef -

 

[barry_keith]

Very cool!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[owenspackman]

- Sombrero Reef -

 

[owenspackman]

- Bahia Honda State Park (my favorite) -

ID on this guy?

This guy was very protective of his rock....is this a small Angel? or large Damsel?

Barnacle Blennies

 

[owenspackman]

- Bahia Honda State Park -

Tang ID?

 

[owenspackman]

Anyone have an ID on the tang in these photos?

 

[FishBoy05]

Those are sub adult Atlantic Blue tangs. One the reef you will be snorkeling and a school of a few hundred will just come by pick on the rocks and move to the next spot. That fish protective of his rock is a Jewel Damsel, they can get aggressive. Sombrero Reef is one of the best spots imo.

 

[owenspackman]

Thanks fishboy!

 

[jdhuyvetter]

They are doctorfish and/or surgeonfish. Acanthurus bahianus or A. chirurgus. Juvenile blue tangs are yellow with a blue ring around the eye. Subadults are blue with a yellow tail.

Your jellyfish is the upside down jellyfish.

Your angel/damsel is a damsel. Probably a Beau Gregory

Your wrasse is a juvenile Puddingwife

Your mystery fish and an intermediate Blue Parrotfish

 

[donpachino1983]

+2 on tang its a doctor fish alt blue tang are yellow when juveniles eith a touch of blue on top abd bottom fins

 

[Crazy_Beaver]

Thanx for sharing Owen!

 

[ggsteve]

Thanks for the photos, it allows me to reminisce. Can you tell me how clear the water was? It appears a little cloudy in the pictures. I noticed the difference when I first visited the Keys in 1980, the reef was crystal clear. I went back in 2000 and the water and reef showed an alarming difference, cloudy water and bleaching corals. I was hoping it was getting better since then.

I think the jelly is Cassiopea. They were all over the bottom in the mangrove swamps when I was there in '80.

BTW, was your Hotel Cheeca Lodge? Also, if you get up to Key Largo don't forget to rest and refresh at Alabama Jack's in Cardsound!

 

[owenspackman]

Thanks for the photos, it allows me to reminisce. Can you tell me how clear the water was? It appears a little cloudy in the pictures. I noticed the difference when I first visited the Keys in 1980, the reef was crystal clear. I went back in 2000 and the water and reef showed an alarming difference, cloudy water and bleaching corals. I was hoping it was getting better since then.

I think the jelly is Cassiopea. They were all over the bottom in the mangrove swamps when I was there in '80.

BTW, was your Hotel Cheeca Lodge? Also, if you get up to Key Largo don't forget to rest and refresh at Alabama Jack's in Cardsound!

Sombrero reef was very clear, you could easily see to the sea bed in places even from the surface. The cloudiness in some of the photos are from us snorkeling in water depths of just a few feet, so it's difficult to not stir up sand as you move around!

Sombrero reef had much more color than anywhere else we snorkeled but still nothing compared to what it once was I'm sure. The clearest water and whitest sands was at the Bahia Honda state park, you can tell the difference in the photos, you don't get the green tint that's seen in the other photos.

Our hotel was Lime Tree Bay Resort in Islamorada, on the Gulf side.

Glad they could bring back some memories!