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THE FABULOUS FLORIDA KEYS:

A CORAL REEF ZOO

Almost one million divers and snorkelers come to the Florida Keys every year because it's the only tropical environment where underwater enthusiasts can readily drive to and visit a living coral reef. It's literally a coral reef zoo you can reach by car (or a quick flight).

From Biscayne National Park all the way down to Key West, the Florida Keys represent the ultimate in continental U.S. diving. Thanks to the vibrant coral reef environment, divers can spend days and weeks exploring dozens of different reef sites throughout this stunning stretch of islands.

WELCOME TO THE ZOO

The abundant marine life of the Florida Keys means more than 2,500 square miles of corals, fish, and invertebrates just waiting to be discovered. It's like going to the world's largest and most interesting zoo or aquarium, where the animals and other displays are constantly changing.

The Florida Keys have turned into the world's most popular dive destination because of their ideal location, conditions, and diver dedication. Stretching off the southern edge of Florida from Biscayne Bay to the Dry Tortugas, this 180-mile span of islands offers semi-tropical conditions year-round, the clear and warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and the most dive operators (more than 70 and counting) you'll find anywhere on earth.

These factors are enhanced by the Keys reef system, which is generally regarded as the third largest in the world and the only living coral reef in the continental U.S. When you add the active reef conservation programs, you have a perfect combination for divers.

The Gulf Stream provides an abundance of nutrients and life that make the Keys coral reefs unlike any other chain of islands in the Caribbean. The Keys are bathed by Caribbean waters, but are also far enough north to welcome more temperate water visitors. In addition, these are islands that are connected to a mainland and, thus, some marine life is insular while other is more continental.

Divers and snorkelers should remember that one visit to one part of the Keys doesn't mean they've seen everything the Keys have to offer underwater. Each part of the Florida Keys offers unique coral reef dive experiences. To really see and dive the Keys, you need multiple visits to each of these areas: Biscayne National Park, Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key/Looe Key, and Key West.

BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK

When most divers think of the Florida Keys, they think of Key Largo and further southwest down the chain. But if you're looking for convenient Florida Keys diving, you only need to take US 1 (or the Florida Turnpike) just south of Miami to the Homestead area, turn left, and head over to Biscayne National Park. With the newly-opened Convoy Point Visitor Center and it's new diver facility, there's never been a better time to visit.

Biscayne National Park was originally established as a national monument back in 1968 and achieved national park status back in 1980. It was made a national park specifically to protect a rare combination of terrestrial and undersea life (96% of the park is underwater), to preserve a scenic subtropical setting, and to provide an outstanding spot for scuba diving, snorkeling, and other recreation.

Marine life in the park is similar to that found further south, with lots of patch reefs, coral heads, and a profusion of fish. But one bonus is that there is actually the longest and most vertical wall diving of anywhere in the Keys.

Called The Wall, Biscayne National Park's wall runs from about 65 to 110 feet and includes a ton of vertical coral life and passing fish, along with occasional large pelagics. The wall is so diverse that no two dives are quite the same.

In addition, a mini-wall called Park Place provides another similar wall experience from 40 to 85 feet. Other popular coral reef destinations in the park include: Bache Shoal and East Bache Shoal (lush soft corals); Ball Buoy Reef (elkhorn coral and lots of fish at several individual sites); and Rocky (a u-shaped patch reef on the north end that's great for night dives). Of course, there are many wrecks and newly discovered reefs that are just starting to be explored. All of the sites feature one or more mooring buoys to protect against anchor damage.

Biscayne National Underwater Park, Inc. offers a number of money-saving packages that include diving and accommodations. In addition, all of the other activities at the park make it ideal for non-diving family members, as the shop also offers popular snorkeling trips, a glass-bottom boat tour, canoe rentals, and much more. The park's information desk, located just around the corner from the dive shop, can also help with other activities.

For further information, contact Biscayne National Park at P.O. Box 1369, Homestead, FL 33090, (305) 230-7275. Divers can contact Biscayne National Underwater Park, Inc. directly at P.O. Box 1270, Homestead, FL 33030, (305) 230-1100.

KEY LARGO

Keys coral reef conservation got underway in Key Largo, when, in 1960, widespread public support laid the foundation for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park off Key Largo. Named for a late Miami newspaper editor who championed local environmental preservation, the state park (now a part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary) was a forerunner of successful conservation efforts. Diligent dive operators help enforce the rules and intent of the protected areas, as do lots of mooring buoys.

The dive sites frequented from Key Largo (as well as Tavernier and Plantation Key, just to the south) can keep visiting divers busy for weeks. Thanks to stunning coral growth and marine life, Molasses Reef is still one of the most popular dive sites in the Keys (and in the world). Large spur and groove coral formation provide a great backdrop for seemingly endless schools of friendly fish.

In the northern section of the Keys, Carysfort Reef (marked by historic Carysfort Lighthouse) features extensive coral growth along the coral heads and a small wall that make this reef a well-known spot. The Elbow is a reef that snagged many ships over the years, including three major wrecks that can be seen on reef dives here.

Grecian Rocks is a popular beginner dive and snorkeling site, with lots of well-lit and large coral heads close to the surface. To the south, French Reef features numerous swim-through caves, full-fledged small caves, and more overhangs than any other site in the Keys.

Along with the scuba diving out on the reefs of John Pennekamp State Park, the park also features excellent snorkeling trips, glass-bottomed boat tours, canoeing, boat rentals, hiking trails through the mangrove and tropical hardwood hammock, and a 30,000-gallon saltwater aquarium and other fish tanks in the excellent visitor center. Back on the Overseas Highway, many other attractions abound.

For further information, contact the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at 105950 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037, (305) 451-1414, or the Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau at P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, (800) FLA KEYS or (305) 296-1552.

ISLAMORADA

Early Spanish explorers are said to have named the small islands of this area islas moradas ("purple islands"), thanks to the profusion of violet sea snails found in the area. Divers can still find these sea snails and lots of other colorful marine life on the coral reefs off Islamorada.

Diving and life here are both a bit quieter than that found just north in Key Largo or in other parts of the Keys. Though Islamorada operators often head to a few of the better southern sites visited by Key Largo dive shops (e.g., Molasses Reef) , the reefs right off their own shores can also keep visiting divers busy for weeks.

Pickles Reef, Conch Reef, and Davis Reef (with a playful moray eel) provide typical Islamorada reef diving, featuring large purple sea fans, as well as lots of queen conchs and pillar coral. Other highlights of Islamorada diving include: Crocker Reef and Crocker Valley (some sharp vertical walls); Hammerhead Reef (a favorite among regulars); the Aquarium and Fish Bowl (both filled with fish); and Hens & Chickens (huge and busy coral heads).

Divers and landlubbers alike will all love Islamorada's Theater of the Sea. Founded in 1945 in an old railroad quarry, the Theater of the Sea is the second oldest marine park in the nation (behind St. Augustine's Marineland).

For further information, contact the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 915 (MM 82.5), Islamorada, FL 33036, (305) 664-4503, or the Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau at P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, (800) FLA KEYS or (305) 296-1552.

MARATHON

Located right in the middle of the Florida Keys, Marathon just may offer the best of both worlds. It seems to have the right mix of commercialism and that laid-back Keys lifestyle, providing an ideal combination of which you'll never tire.

Now the commercial (and diving) hub of the Middle Keys, Marathon started as a base camp for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway workers. The town's name is said to have been derived from the "marathon" efforts of these early laborers.

Marathon dive shops often dive one of many Marathon Middle Reefs after a wreck dive on the R/V Thunderbolt, but the reefs are anything but secondary. Coffin's Patch is one of the best, with a profusion of pillar, brain, staghorn, and fire coral and lots of friendly fish. Other excellent options include: The Donut (a generally circular reef patch); Pillar Patch (towering pillar coral); and The State (limestone and fire coral ledges).

Next, Sombrero Reef is another one of the more popular Marathon reef dives, but a series of mooring buoys have really helped keep reef pressure down. Highlights of these coral fingers include the eight-foot-high coral arch, giant star corals, and, as always, abundant fish activity. Nearby, Delta Shoals and Delta Shoals Barge provide similar experiences. On rough days, Content Keys provides a Florida Bay alternative, with some different marine life (e.g., starlet corals) from that found on the Atlantic side.

You'll also never tire of Marathon on the surface. One of the best ways to understand the area is to head to famed Seven Mile Bridge, located between Mile Markers 47 and 40. With 288 135-foot-long sections linking the Middle and Lower Keys, this modern engineering wonder is the longest segmental bridge in the world.

Driving along the Overseas Highway, you can't miss the Dolphin Research Center, with it's huge dolphin sign out front. That gigantic dolphin marks an excellent educational facility for divers and non-divers alike, with a 90,000-square-foot aquarium natural saltwater pool, several shows, and varied opportunities to interact with the dolphins.

For further information, contact the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, 12222 Overseas Highway (MM 53.5), Marathon, FL 33050, (800) 842-9580, or the Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau at P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, (800) FLA KEYS or (305) 296-1552.

BIG PINE KEY & LOOE KEY REEF

Just 30 miles northeast of Key West, Big Pine Key and the diving mecca of Looe Key are in another world. If your vision of the Florida Keys is quiet and natural, Big Pine Key and Looe Key Reef will woo you above and below the surface.

Quiet Big Pine Key is the base for exploring the stunning reef tract of Looe Key, just 6.7 nautical miles to the southwest. Once a national marine sanctuary in its own right and now part of the larger Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the reef out at Looe Key encompasses one of the most varied and voluminous reefs in the Florida Keys.

Looe Key Reef is something that shouldn't be missed on any mid or lower-Keys dive trip. The area is completely protected from spearfishing and shell collecting and has thus become one of the most active reefs in the Keys, with a wide array of fish and a representative mix of coral found throughout the area. Mooring buoys help protect the fragile reef even further. The actual reef is approximately 800 yards long by about 200 yards in width, but veteran divers rarely get tired of exploring it.

Looe Key is comprised of a spur-and-groove reef formation, with fingers of coral running parallel between floors of sand. The reef contains virtually all types of patch and outside reef coral found in the Florida Keys, including elkhorn, staghorn, and fire coral. The fingers of coral often reach 35 feet in height, with gently waving sea fans welcoming divers to this typically easy dive. Frequent fish sightings include barracuda, jacks, angelfish, parrotfish, and many others.

On rough days, many boats head north into Florida Bay for a different dive on Content Keys. Here, a shallow dive and unique bayside corals and fish await, as do lots of lobsters.

But bad weather days also give divers time to explore the unique topside life of Big Pine Key and the surrounding area. The first thing visitors notice about Big Pine Key is the drop in speed limits on the Overseas Highway. The low and strictly-enforced speed limits (45 m.p.h. during the day and 35 m.p.h. at night) are to protect Big Pine Key's most famous residents, the Key deer.

Though you may spot a key deer just driving along the Overseas Highway, your best bet is to head to the 8,000-acre National Key Deer Refuge. Located 1.5 miles in from the Overseas Highway, off Key Deer Boulevard, the refuge includes a loop walk along the Watson Wildlife Trail (less than a mile).

For further information, contact the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 430511 (MM 31), Big Pine Key, FL 33043, (800) 872-3722 or (305) 872-2411, or the Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau at P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, (800) FLA KEYS or (305) 296-1552.

KEY WEST

Where else can you dive a reef with a huge jewfish during the day and, in the evening, toast the legacy of Ernest Hemingway or a giant mounted jewfish outside Capt. Tony's Saloon? Only in Key West.

The coral reef characters of today are as interesting as past and present Key West characters topside. Coral reef diving and snorkeling highlights off Key West include: South Beach Patches (surprisingly good shallow shore diving); Eastern Dry Rocks and Rock Key (typical Keys reef structure and marine life, with the added bonus of lots of wreck remains; Sand Key (coral fingers, with lots of elkhorn and staghorn coral); Western Dry Rocks (deeply encrusted coral fingers, lots of large grouper, and some nice caves); and, on the Gulf side, Cottrell Reef and The Lakes (shallow coral ledges alive with scattered gorgonians, sponges, and occasional wrecks).

To the west and out into the Atlantic, the Marquesas Keys provide a number of interesting reef dives for those who enjoy boat trips and secluded diving. The coral reef diving out here is truly adventurous.

Topside, more characters await. The Hemingway home, now a registered national historic landmark, was built in Spanish Colonial style of native rock hewn from the grounds. The tours are typically quite interesting.

Hemingway may have been the quintessential character of Key West and a visit to his house is certainly obligatory, but for the quintessential Key West experience, a virtual character convention is held daily at Mallory Square. If there is a single attraction Key West attraction that befits the entire experience, it's the sunset celebration.

Landlubbers who want to discover the visual delights of Keys reefs without getting wet will love the Key West Aquarium on Mallory Square. The first open-air aquarium in the U.S., this popular attraction includes a 50,000-gallon tank exhibiting the mangrove environment, tropical and game fish, sea turtles, and birds. Other exhibits include a "Touch Tank," a spiny lobster tank, and, of course, sharks.

For further information, contact the Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau at P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, (800) FLA KEYS or (305) 296-1552. Online service users can obtain a wide variety of Keys information by typing http://www.fla-keys.com.