There’s a lot to see above the water when you visit Key West: Ernest Hemingway’s home, the Southernmost Buoy Marker, Duval Street, the “little” White House, Mallory Square and the waterfront, the Dry Tortugas, the beach, conch shells, and more.
But there’s an additional incredibly magical world waiting for you just a few feet under the water. And, if you can swim relatively well you can visit this world via snorkeling in Key West.
The Florida Keys (of which Key West is but one of 120 islands in the chain) is the location of the only living coral barrier reef in all of the United States. The reefs are about five to seven miles offshore from the Florida Keys and the things you’ll see if you snorkel above them will take your breath away.
You’ll see hundreds of thousands of colorful fish. Blue-striped grunts to green moray eels and dozens more different species.
You’ll also see coral-covered shipwrecks as well as delicately complex coral formations. The reefs have shallow snorkeling sites as well as deeper dive sites for experienced scuba divers.
If you’ve never snorkeled before, don’t worry. The waters of Key West are especially buoyant because this is the area where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico meet, making the water highly dense with salt – you’ll be able to float quite easily.In addition, learning how to use a snorkel is very easy and any snorkeling outfitter you travel with will be able to give you quick lessons.
Additional things you’ll see as you snorkel could be jelly fish, sponges, crabs, sea turtles (especially if you decide to take the ferry to Dry Tortugas National Park and snorkel there), manta rays, small sharks, sea anemones, squirrelfish, trumpetfish, butterfly fish, parrotfish, angelfish, and more.The coral reefs offshore from Key West actually are among the best spots to snorkel in all of the Florida Keys. Other snorkeling bright spots are Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Big Pine (the Middle Keys).
