Where to go snorkelling in Key Largo

There’s a lot of dispute as to whether Key Largo or Key West is the better snorkel spot. There’s only one way to find out – visit them both! Key Largo is a healthy reef with lots of marine life to discover. It’s only accessible by boat, with most of the snorkelling reef sites around John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

You’ll have the option to either take a private charter which means you’ll be able to choose where to go, or go with a snorkelling boat company. If you choose the latter, keep in mind you might not have a choice in where to go as they’ll take you to the best place depending on the conditions that day! That said, you’ll be able to rent equipment, have bathrooms on board, and all other kinds of handy perks.

Fish in Key Largo:

• Atlantic Spadefish, Barracuda, Bicolour Damselfish, Blueheads, Hogfish, French Angelfish, Grey Angelfish, Grunts, Porkfish, Pufferfish, Queen Angelfish, Sergeant Majors, Snapper, and more.

Corals in Key Largo:

• Branching Fire Corals, Elkhorn Corals, Finger Coral, Fire Coral, Lobed Star Corals, Sea Fans, Sea Rods, and more.

Where: Dry Rocks
Details: A must-see snorkel site that’s probably also Key Largo’s main attraction, Christ of the Abyss is a huge bronze statue of Jesus nestled in one of the grooves of a patch reef. The area itself is known as Dry Rocks, a patch reef with unique topography and soft & hard corals. Here you can expect to snorkel with barracuda, rays, and all the other sea life of The Keys.

Information:

• Because it’s so popular the reef itself isn’t so healthy, so this isn’t the best spot to find vibrant sea life,
• The water in this area is about 7.6 metres deep, with the top of the Christ statue about 2.4 metres down. You’ll definitely be able to spot it as a snorkeler, but don’t expect an amazing view unless you’re diving.

Where: 102601 Overseas Highway
Details: This enormous underwater park is Key Largo’s most popular snorkeling spot, and is beautiful for more than just its underwater life. There are nice beac