Dec 212009
Marquesas Keys
Marquis de Cadierata, who might be famous for having commanded a fleet of ships in the 1600s that included the Atocha, gave his name to the Marquesas Keys. Several wrecks occurred at that time, in the 1620s, under his command. Mel Fisher discovered the Atocha in 1985 with much fanfare and many many years of searching.
The Marquesas are a circle of mangrove islands set in shallow water flats that are great for fishing. They are located 25 miles west of Key West and accessible through the ocean side or through the Lakes Passage, a more protected route through shallow water in between mangrove keys. They are not on the reef line, but six miles north of the reef. Divers are mostly interested in diving the Marquesas Reef line, which has nice structure and marine life but strong currents. This is considered an intermediate dive.