Conch Reef
Conch Reef has a variety of marine environments for divers to explore, making it one of the best dive spots in the Upper Keys. It’s accessible from Key Largo or Islamorada, and is located about five and half miles south of Tavern Key. There are pretty good currents here, ranging form medium to heavy, so it’s not considered a novice level dive. Depths range from 20 to 100 feet and the water at Conch Reef is known for its clarity. Conch Reef contains a Sanctuary Preserve Area, and there’s also a Research Only area too. There are mooring buoys here, at pretty shallow depths, like 20 feet of water. Nearby there is the Aquarious, a NOAA vessel providing a habitat that’s currently off-limits to divers. But also nearby is Conch Wall, which is a dramatic dropoff o f 50 to 110 feet. At Conch Wall divers can spot barrel sponges, pillar coral, basket sponges and the namesake conch shells. The topography of Conch Reef is awesome, one of the best in the Florida Keys, making it a very popular dive site for anyone fortunate to go there.
