January 21, 2022

With warm, clear water and the longest barrier reef in the US, Key West and the Florida Keys offer some of the best “in the water” experiences anywhere. Snorkeling provides an easy opportunity for people who want to explore the ocean but do not Scuba dive. With nothing more than fins, a mask, and a snorkel, the undersea world is yours.
Snorkeling in Key West

DIY Snorkel by the Beach

You never know what you’ll see.

If the weather is good and the water is clear, snorkeling can also be done right from the shore. Two places in Key West offer excellent snorkeling opportunities. The beach at Fort Taylor State Park is one: large rock piles just off the beach are home to many types of sea life and are excellent places to explore. You can rent masks and fins there too. Another good snorkeling spot is Higgs Beach. There is a long iron breakwater there that has been colonized by corals and is home to large schools of fish.

Surrounding sea grass beds host sponges and many soft corals. It is not uncommon to see sharks and stingrays in the water off Higgs Beach, and, if you are lucky, you might see a manatee or two.

DIY Snorkel by the Beach

Calm, clear water made for a great nature tour off Higgs Beach this morning. I even managed to catch a manatee eating its breakfast. ~ Corey Malcom

Snorkel Adventure and Tours Feather Duster Worms at Higgs Beach. Photo credit: Corey Malcom

Feather Duster Worms are a family of marine polychaete tube worms characterized by protruding feathery branchiae. Sabellids build tubes out of a tough, parchment-like exudate, strengthened with sand and bits of shell. (Wikipedia)

Snorkel Adventure and Tours

If you don’t have your own boat, the best way to get to the reef (which lies seven miles to the south of Key West) is with our friends at Fury Water Adventures. Fury’s boat tours take groups of snorkelers out both morning and afternoon to one of the many favorite spots on the reef, where you will see plenty of fish and corals that inhabit the blue water offshore.

Fury’s Morning Reef Snorkel

Set sail on our spacious catamaran and be one of the first guests of the day to arrive at North America’s only living coral reef. With instructions from our professional crew, you’ll descend Fury’s stairway to the sea to encounter the coral reef and a multitude of sea life.

Fury’s Morning Reef Snorkel Photo credit: Fury Water Adventures

Trip was fantastic! Crew is very personable, efficient and knowledgeable. Family-friendly. Saw a ton of beautiful sea creatures and fish, including stingrays and a shark! Would definitely recommend. ~ Tara21805 from Columbus, Ohio, via TripAdvisor

Fury’s Morning Reef Snorkel Photo credit: Fury Water Adventures

Snorkeling the waters of Key West and the Florida Keys is an easy alternative to scuba diving. Without the need for expensive equipment or the commitment of training, it is an easy way for the whole family to explore the underwater world.

The world’s finest wilderness lies beneath the waves. Happy Snorkeling! #Lovethemarker

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