Florida Keys Diving
Scuba diving in the Florida Keys brings all kinds of wonders and excitement, like shipwrecks, the coral reef, caves, and endless varieties of tropical fish. The Keys are one of the top diving destinations in the world, and no wonder: the year-round sunny warm weather, the 200 miles of coral reef, the clear water, especially in Key Largo, and all the dive companies ready to take you out to see the Silent World. Hundreds and hundreds of divers from all over the world visit the Florida Keys every year, just for scuba diving alone. From one-day resort courses to advanced dive trips to the deeper wrecks, the Florida Keys has it all for your diving vacation.
In the Florida Keys you’ll also find ever-present signs of conservation and preservation of the precious coral reef. There are numerous Marine Parks which seek to protect the reef and also to allow divers to enjoy it at the same time. With the increase in tourism and diving in the past fifty years, marine parks have become an essential part of life in the Keys. Long gone are the days when people used dynamite to blow up parts of the reef to gather pieces of coral to sell to tourists! Now it’s forbidden to take any coral, there are limits on fishing, and there are no-take zones called Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) up and down the Florida Keys.
John Pennekamp was a leader in the 1950 coral reef conservation movement, and it’s through his efforts that the first marine park was created. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is one of the top visited dive centers in the Florida Keys today.
Learn about the other marine parks by clicking below. They range from Key Largo out to the Dry Tortugas, so no matter where you go in the Florida Keys, there’s one to visit.