LARGO AND LIME - DIVING THE FLORIDA KEYS

by Jon Gunns

BACKGROUND
The Florida Keys are an archipelago of over 200 islands extending in a gentle arc southwest from the Florida mainland. The Keys are approached by land by US Highway 1, the overseas highway, but by sea they are protected by a reef that has caused countless shipwrecks. It is estimated that between 1500 and 1820, $12 billion of treasure was transported from the New World to Spain. Of this, 5% was lost with 2% never being recovered. This means that about $240,000,000 worth of treasure is sitting on the seabed. No wonder the Keys remain one of the oldest and most popular diving destinations in the world!

The reef has a distinctive structure in the Keys and there are no dramatic walls or drop - offs. Instead, the coastline is protected by a shallow bank for a depth of about 5 miles. Mangroves close to the shore give way to a sandy bottom and seagrasses with patches of coral outcrops. Further out on the bank this in turn gives way to larger coral and rock formations, often forming spur and groove systems. Here, nearly all species of reef fish can be found including turtles, rays and nurse sharks. As the bank gradually drops away into deeper water, offshore reefs can be found. These reefs are generally smaller than those found in mid-channel but have greater variety of coral species. The reef gradually peters out to a sand channel as depth increases.

The waters off the Keys are protected in a marine sanctuary with sites being buoyed to avoid damage to the coral. Diving is highly regulated to avoid damage to the environment and there is no shore diving.

DIVING
We arrived in the Key Largo and move into our self-catering accommodation. Our apartment overlooked a small channel in the marina with Ocean Divers on the far side. Child-minding restrictions meant that we had only booked 4 days diving for the trip.

Our first dive was onto Molasses Reef, allegedly the world's most popular dive site. Despite its popularity, with 28 mooring buoys there was room for all. Visibility was not spectacular on this dive but the pattern for future dives was set as a variety of fish paraded in an orderly fashion waiting to be photographed. At 15 metres, this was an easy and enjoyable dive.

Moving on, we arrived at a site called Coral Pillars for our second dive. Here, with better visibility and in about 7 metres, we saw a huge range of sealife including nurse shark, trumpet fish, porcupine fish, moray eels and lobster.

Our first dive on Day 2 was at North North Dry Rocks (to distinguish it from North Dry Rocks). At about 7 metres the reef appeared colourful with large fields of staghorn corals. Here we saw Nassau grouper at a cleaning station, barracuda, parrot fish and trunk fish. The shallow depth and bright sunshine made the site a photographer's dream.

Ocean Divers use PADI dive tables which are constructed differently to BSAC tables. While decompression diving is not encouraged by PADI, surface intervals were very short compared to BSAC and we were diving again 25 minutes after surfacing, this time at Key Largo Dry Rocks. This is one of the most famous sites in the Keys as a result of the positioning here in 1965 of the statue of Christ of the Abyss, apparently the most-photographed underwater sculpture in the world. On this site we saw cow fish, file fish, smooth trunk fish and trumpet fish, all again forming an orderly queue to have their photographs taken. We also chanced on 2 cleaning stations.

Taking a couple of days off from diving we explored the local beaches, some of which had fenced snorkelling areas. Having just bought the Treasure Diver's Guide, and with the thought of that $240,000,000 treasure at the back of my mind, I was on the lookout for anything glittering in the sand. To my surprise I suddenly saw a cannon and then another and a third, lying in a straight line parallel to one another. Swimming away from them I came across a line of ballast stones and then a second set of cannon. For a brief moment I thought that I had discovered a shipwreck until the penny dropped that these were the remnants of a Spanish galleon, raised and brought into shallow water for the benefit of non-divers. My moment of fame was cruelly snatched away!

Our third day diving started with a deep dive to 36 metres on the Bibb, a former Coastguard cutter now sunk as an artificial reef. This site was further off shore and can present a challenge due to the depth and unpredictable currents. Following the fixed buoy line took us directly to the bridge of the vessel that lies on its starboard side. We had time to swim the length of the ship to the propellers, taking in the coral growth that is slowly colonising the wreck.

A short surface transit brought us back to Molasses Reef where we enjoyed better visibility than previously and saw a nurse shark and a turtle.

Our final day's diving included a return to Key Largo Dry Rocks and a trip to Grecian Rocks where the marine life included eagle ray, yellow stingray, Nassau grouper, hogfish, file fish and a big barracuda.

Ocean Divers operates a small fleet of dive boats and we were diving from a large platform with plenty of deck space for kitting up. The diving was generally relatively easy with lots to see and, with the exception of the Bibb, very shallow. While this made for safe diving, lots to see and good photographic conditions it sometimes seemed too easy and, at times, I found myself longing for a Force 4 in the Channel in November.

Arriving back at the Key Largo dock each day it was time for a cold drink and a slice of the famous Key Lime Pie as the sun set, a real case of Largo and Lime.

OTHER DIVING OPPORTUNITIES IN FLORIDA
Although we stayed and dived in Key Largo, diving is possible throughout the length of the Keys. North of Miami, Boynton Beach is alleged to offer even better diving. In winter, it is possible to dive with manatees in Crystal River.

NON-DIVING ACTIVITIES
The Keys themselves become increasingly laid back as you head away from the mainland until you reach Key West which has a more commercialised and hectic feel to it. Many activities locally have an aquatic theme with fishing being particularly popular.

Many Spanish wrecks have been found in these waters and there is a proliferation of small shipwreck museums commemorating the finds of local characters including Mel Fisher and Art McKee.

Further afield, Florida is home to some of the biggest theme parks in the world.

USEFUL INFORMATION
Getting There
We opted to fly/drive through Miami. This gave us the flexibility of our own hire car for the 2 weeks. Many airlines offer fly/drive deals or the 2 items can be arranged independently. It is worth shopping around for the best deal. Flight prices are very seasonal, peaking in August at about £550 return London to Florida but only about £400 in June.

Vehicle Hire
Be aware that the car hire company staff will try to sell you an upgrade on a pre - booked car. This is sometimes the result of all the relevant vehicles being on hire and you can pick up the upgrade at no extra cost. Ensure that you inspect the car thoroughly and list any extant damage. It is also worth spending 5 minutes familiarising yourself with the controls which may not follow European patterns.

Driving in America is relatively straightforward. Towns are generally designed to cater for car users with generously proportioned streets and car parks.

Car hire costs can reach about £250 per week, including tax and insurance, in high season.

Hidden Costs
Quotes for flight prices may not include airport tax which comes in at £60. Watch out for quotes for hire cars that do not include insurance and tax which can equate to an additional 40% of the basic cost.

Accommodation
We organised our own accommodation but Ocean Divers can arrange dive/hotel packages with the Marina Del Mar Resort. Out of season it is usually possible to just turn up at a town and find accommodation without booking. For those wishing to pre-book, the internet is a useful starting point to find reasonably-priced accommodation.

Eating Out
There are numerous restaurants in the Keys offering everything from fast food to exotic seafood. Portions are large and prices are generally less than you would expect to pay in UK.

The Dive Organisation
We dived with Ocean Divers based at 522 Caribbean Drive, Key Largo (1-800-451-1113).

Ocean Divers use PADI dive tables. BSAC divers may feel more comfortable if they dive with a computer.

Certification
Dive centres are used to dealing with PADI divers who all have a small credit-sized card bearing their qualification details and often ask divers to leave their card as security for kit hire. They are less used to the BSAC qualification book. Visiting divers might find that a BSAC qualification card with CMAS star rating, available from BSAC HQ, smoothes the path.

Snorkelling
The Keys offer many opportunities for snorkelling. Several boats operate with mixed diving and snorkelling customers while others cater solely for snorkellers. The shallow depths of many sites make them equally accessible and some beaches have fenced areas for snorkelling.

Weather
Generally good with clear skies and diving is possible year-round. In winter it can become unsettled which has a knock-on effect on visibility. Temperatures typically exceed 32 °C in summer, dropping to 22 °C in winter.

Water temperatures are a comfortable 27 °C in summer but a thin wet suit will probably be required in winter. It is probably best to avoid the hurricane season.