Key West Adventure Travel Option: Snorkel the Reef
key west snorkel & dive tips
In
the middle of warm, shallow tropical waters on the sides, it's not a
surprise that the Florida Keys are a prime draw for diving and
snorkeling fans any time of year.
Key West is America’s
southernmost point, jutting into the warm Caribbean waters a mere 90
miles from Cuba. How popular is Key West snorkeling? Locals and tourists
spend upwards of $150 million per year at reef-related
businesses,supporting thousands of local jobs.
Both
visitors and Key West residents enjoy snorkeling above the thousands of
coral growths that define the Florida Barrier Reef. Actually, if you
want to dive a dynamic, living barrier reef, the Florida Keys will be
the only option in America. A coral atoll, the Florida Keys island chain
sits just a few feet above sea level. From the air, the Florida Keys
look like a pearl necklace.
The Florida Barrier Reef is a
unique ecosystem in North America and that is proven by the great
diversity of aquatic and plant life that makes its home on the reef.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the Florida Barrier
Reef offers nearly 40 types of stony corals. And these corals-which are
colorfully beautiful in their own right, as a group give housing for
over 500 tropical fish species, plus fascinating creatures, for example
sea urchins, crabs and shrimp.
The diversity of sea
creatures, and their tropical beauty, are unmatched. With much to find
out, it's no surprise that men and women travel from halfway around the
world to snorkel Key West. There are few places on earth where reef
diving is so easy and convenient, even for beginners.
However
the Florida barrier reef isn't only thing that draws divers to southern
Florida. Before a string of lighthouses was finished inside the 1880s,
the reefs around Key West wrecked 1000s of ships, making reef and wreck
diving another popular Key West attraction. No diving visit to the
Florida Keys is complete without having a reef and wreck dive around the
USNS Vandenberg.
This former troop transport ship was
delivered to the waters off Key West and intentionally sunk to create a
synthetic reef for divers and marine life alike. If the 500-foot
Vandenberg was sunk in '09, it became the second largest artificial reef
anywhere in the world.
Divers can look at all the marine
creatures that now survive the Vandenberg, in addition to make their
way around the ship, which rises to within 40 feet of the top of the
water. Key West diving fanatics are creating synthetic reef that
numerous reef and wreck divers consider to be the top on the planet.
The
web page is good for novice divers to travel as a result of numbers of
40 feet, or experienced divers who may dive down as much as 140 feet.
All Vandenberg dives are escorted for your safety of the diver.
It
didnít stop with all the Vandenberg. The Artificial Reef of the Keys
(ARK), took A decade to produce, you start with the mission that come up
with Vandenberg artificial reef last year. Scientists hope might be a
long-term project involving a huge array of similar artificial reefs,
and exactly what a great deal of divers expect you'll be probably the
most fascinating and challenging diving opportunities anywhere.
key west snorkel & dive tips
There
exists a Key West snorkel or dive trip that's ideal for you, no matter
your level of experience, or how deep you would like to dive. Dive tour
operators provide a number of different snorkel and Deep-sea diving
excursions. The majority are all about the diving, but other trips
combine snorkeling with glass bottom boat trips, dolphin watching,
sunset cruises or other watersports adventures. A high level snorkeler
or a diver, you owe it to yourself to plan a diving day at Key West,
Florida.
