Florida Keys snorkeling locations

[Mr06evo]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Well, it's Wednesday and we tried snorkeling this morning. The water was cold, 77F, and visibility was all of 12 to 18 inches. We called it quits pretty quickly. No need to snorkel when you can see where you are going! Oh well, we'll try again in the spring!

So Tuesday we went to the Aquarium Encounter in Marathon and today we are going to check out the Turtle Hospital. I'll review both and post some pics on Friday when we get home.

Thanks for taking the time to make this thread Ron. There is a ton of valuable information for us noobs. I'm new to the hobby and would love to harvest some of my own stuff. I go fishing often, but I'm not much of a diver. Hopefully I can check out some of the shallow spots your recommended. Thank you!

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Mr06evo

Hi Matt, just wanted to ask you about the zoas you saw at Harry Harris. I go fishing out of there often and didn't know there were corals right there. Is it legal to harvest there? Did you see the zoas on the beach area or on the other side of the boat ramp? Thank you!

And are they the green ones or the red ones?

Mr06evo, zoas are legal to harvest if you have a saltwater fishing license and the limit is 5 polyps per license holder per day. The green ones are all over the area at the SE corner of Money Key down along side the Seven Mile bridge.

[Mr06evo]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

And are they the green ones or the red ones?

Mr06evo, zoas are legal to harvest if you have a saltwater fishing license and the limit is 5 polyps per license holder per day. The green ones are all over the area at the SE corner of Money Key down along side the Seven Mile bridge.

Awesome, thanks! Going to take a drive down there soon. As far as crabs and snails go do you think I will have any luck in the south Florida beach area?

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Mr06evo

Awesome, thanks! Going to take a drive down there soon. As far as crabs and snails go do you think I will have any luck in the south Florida beach area?

It depends on the south Florida beach you are at. I don't think there is much on or near shore along the Miami beaches, but I really can't say as I haven't spent much time there. But along Key Largo (Pennekamp State Park area) and further south along the Keys... yes. And for my money you can't beat Bahia Honda State Park for great off the beach snorkeling. And the next couple of keys to the south for collecting! Just be aware of the state limits and licence requirements as the FWC does patrol (we have been checked several times both on the water and at the boat ramp). And although I've never been fined, I understand that fine are severe!

The variety of things you can find, and how easily things change in the shallows along the Keys is amazing. We have seen tiny hermits by the hundreds on rocks very near shore at times and none at other times. We find all kinds of stuff off Little Money Key most of the time, but in 2014 there was a algae bloom that almost killed everything... well, made the area look like winter up north. It all looked dead, but it was mostly hiding. The next year we found most of the smaller creatures were back, but bigger ones, like the queen conch, were almost wiped out there. In 2016 it appeared that new queen conch had moved into the area. We always find lots of emerald crabs in the shallows. Snails are there, but a bit harder to find. Either side off the highway as soon as you get onto Spanish Harbor Key is great for off the beach snorkeling. Little Money Key, Money Key and Molasses Key are all great if you have a boat. Little Bahia Honda is 1/4 mile off the beach in the state park (no collecting) and you can rent a kayak there to get to the island. The shallows along the east and southeast side of the island have incredible wildlife. More rock boring urchins than you can count! And they make holes in the rocks that make great homes for all kinds of other creatures.

Go slow and watch very carefully and you'll see all kinds of stuff. We've seen several octopus (or whatever the plural form is) and you need to be very observant in order to find one. They have great camouflage and blend into the background perfectly.

BTW, late spring (warming water and no storms) and early fall (still warm water and storms have quit) are great times to do a snorkel trip in the Keys. If you have the time and money, consider a trip to the Dry Tortugas and Ft. Jefferson (see pics below). We are planing 1 or 2 trips there next year and will camp out overnight. They allow night snorkeling and you are 70 miles from Key West and any lights, so the night sky is just crazy with stars.

Enjoy and good luck. And be sure to come back here and tell us how your trip goes. Or ask more specific questions if you have them.

[Mr06evo]

[QUOTE=Ron Reefman;24865643]It depends on the south Florida beach you are at. I don't think there is much on or near shore along the Miami beaches, but I really can't say as I haven't spent much time there. But along Key Largo (Pennekamp State Park area) and further south along the Keys... yes. And for my money you can't beat Bahia Honda State Park for great off the beach snorkeling. And the next couple of keys to the south for collecting! Just be aware of the state limits and licence requirements as the FWC does patrol (we have been checked several times both on the water and at the boat ramp). And although I've never been fined, I understand that fine are severe!

The variety of things you can find, and how easily things change in the shallows along the Keys is amazing. We have seen tiny hermits by the hundreds on rocks very near shore at times and none at other times. We find all kinds of stuff off Little Money Key most of the time, but in 2014 there was a algae bloom that almost killed everything... well, made the area look like winter up north. It all looked dead, but it was mostly hiding. The next year we found most of the smaller creatures were back, but bigger ones, like the queen conch, were almost wiped out there. In 2016 it appeared that new queen conch had moved into the area. We always find lots of emerald crabs in the shallows. Snails are there, but a bit harder to find. Either side off the highway as soon as you get onto Spanish Harbor Key is great for off the beach snorkeling. Little Money Key, Money Key and Molasses Key are all great if you have a boat. Little Bahia Honda is 1/4 mile off the beach in the state park (no collecting) and you can rent a kayak there to get to the island. The shallows along the east and southeast side of the island have incredible wildlife. More rock boring urchins than you can count! And they make holes in the rocks that make great homes for all kinds of other creatures.

Go slow and watch very carefully and you'll see all kinds of stuff. We've seen several octopus (or whatever the plural form is) and you need to be very observant in order to find one. They have great camouflage and blend into the background perfectly.

BTW, late spring (warming water and no storms) and early fall (still warm water and storms have quit) are great times to do a snorkel trip in the Keys. If you have the time and money, consider a trip to the Dry Tortugas and Ft. Jefferson (see pics below). We are planing 1 or 2 trips there next year and will camp out overnight. They allow night snorkeling and you are 70 miles from Key West and any lights, so the night sky is just crazy with stars.

Enjoy and good luck. And be sure to come back here and tell us how your trip goes. Or ask more specific questions if you have them.


Thanks for all the info Ron! I actually had a chance to take a trip down to the keys this weekend. I stopped by a few places on the side of the road and was able to find some blue legged crabs, they are doing great in the tank so far. I went down as far as mile marker 70.

I'm thinking of trying to find those zoas at Harry Harris park this weekend. The water was pretty cold haha. I will let you know how it goes.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Mr06evo

Thanks for all the info Ron! I actually had a chance to take a trip down to the keys this weekend. I stopped by a few places on the side of the road and was able to find some blue legged crabs, they are doing great in the tank so far. I went down as far as mile marker 70.

I'm thinking of trying to find those zoas at Harry Harris park this weekend. The water was pretty cold haha. I will let you know how it goes.

Congratulations on finding the blue leg hermits. And I'm happy to have another local guy (as in 'local to the Keys') here in this thread. The more the merrier.

The last time we snorkeled in December was 4 or 5 years ago. We had pretty heavy wetsuits and an hour in we were both getting cold! Besides, the shallow water bottom kind of goes into hibernation. Polyps stay closed up, critters stay under rocks... it's just a lot less interesting than when the water is warmer.

BTW, your handle, Mr06evo, is that a car reference to a 2006 Mitsubishi Evolution? I have an '08 Miata that was making 240hp at the rear wheels. But it's in the shop getting a re-tune of the ECU and a new boost controller and a boost/air:fuel mixture/shift light gauge installed. We are going to do a dyno run at 2lbs more boost just to see what we can get!

[Mr06evo]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Congratulations on finding the blue leg hermits. And I'm happy to have another local guy (as in 'local to the Keys') here in this thread. The more the merrier.

The last time we snorkeled in December was 4 or 5 years ago. We had pretty heavy wetsuits and an hour in we were both getting cold! Besides, the shallow water bottom kind of goes into hibernation. Polyps stay closed up, critters stay under rocks... it's just a lot less interesting than when the water is warmer.

BTW, your handle, Mr06evo, is that a car reference to a 2006 Mitsubishi Evolution? I have an '08 Miata that was making 240hp at the rear wheels. But it's in the shop getting a re-tune of the ECU and a new boost controller and a boost/air:fuel mixture/shift light gauge installed. We are going to do a dyno run at 2lbs more boost just to see what we can get!

Yeah I only walked around in knee deep water so I didn't get the full effect of the cold water lol. Almost all the crabs were right there by the shore.

I used to own a 2006 Evolution 9, it was my pride and joy. It had full bolts ons, cams and meth injection. It made a little over 400whp. I'll see if I can dig up a picture to show you. I'm starting to notice that this aquarium hobby can be just as expensive as modifying cars. I'm hoping to get back into cars once if these days. The only racing I did was at the 1/8 mile, never had s chance to auto-x or track it.

[Ron Reefman]

Three points:

1) Please keep us informed about any info related to the Keys or local snorkeling (anywhere in Florida).

2) Being fairly new to this hobby you can always ask questions. And yes it can get expensive. I just hope you never have to deal with a 180g aquarium that develops a 30gph leak at a place where it is unreachable. I ended up having to replace bathroom cabinets that were on the opposite side of the wall the aquarium was on. Ouch!

3) Would love to see a pic of the car (maybe by PM rather than in this thread). The last drag race I did (legally) was back in 1969 with a 1967 Chevy Nova with a 327 cu in engine making 375 hp and I thought that was crazy! The Miata at Sebring is just awesome.

[SFish]

Damn

If only I had seen this post before I went to the Keys

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by SFish

Damn

If only I had seen this post before I went to the Keys

Come back any time. Where are you from?

[SFish]

Wisconsin

I thought the upside down jelly fish were pretty cool my self. My wife is afraid of sharks so she won't dive or snorkel. We did a glass bottom boat. I wish I would have had someone to go with. I heard that bridge that's washed out with that gravel plant or what ever it is at the end is supposed to be a good spot as well. I've only been there once.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by SFish

Wisconsin

I thought the upside down jelly fish were pretty cool my self. My wife is afraid of sharks so she won't dive or snorkel. We did a glass bottom boat. I wish I would have had someone to go with. I heard that bridge that's washed out with that gravel plant or what ever it is at the end is supposed to be a good spot as well. I've only been there once.

Ha! I assume you mean the one along side the Seven Mile Bridge? That was the old Flagler Railroad bridge and the sections that are missing were removed to make room for tall boats or to stop people from going out to fish off them. The little island at the end of the section about 2 miles out is a railroad museum I think. It's called Pigeon Key. I haven't snorkeled there yet, but I will some day soon.

BTW, my wife isn't afraid of sharks at all, but she doesn't like getting too far from shore in a 10' inflatable Zodiac. She's getting better, and this summer I intend to really try and push the envelope.

If you ever want a snorkel buddy in the Keys, just let me know. I'll meet you there and show you around!

[SFish]

We stayed on Islamorada. I think it's the old 7 mile bridge. It must be what your talking about. This is it:

[SFish]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

If you ever want a snorkel buddy in the Keys, just let me know. I'll meet you there and show you around!

That would be awesome!

[Ron Reefman]

Up until a couple of years ago you could walk or ride a bike out the old railroad bridge to Pigeon Key, but the bridge is closed down now for repairs (it's 100 years old). My wife and I walked out there a few years ago and standing up on the bridge looking down into the water along the east side of the island, we saw some pretty cool marine life. There were 2 big spotted rays going after conchs and we saw a huge barracuda and a small shark (about the same size as the barracuda) swim past each other within a couple of feet, and they paid absolutely no attention to each other. I think the Pigeon Key Museum now offers a boat ride from the west end of Marathon out to Pigeon Key for snorkeling... but I'd rather do it in our Zodiac so I can come and go as I please and maybe do a little collecting if I find anything unusual that might do well in one of my tanks.

I'm serious about being a snorkeling buddy. I'm retired and my wife is still working (she likes her job) so if the weather is right, I can be in the Middle Keys in about 5 hours with an 11' Zodiac!

[SFish]

I use to surf when I lived in California so being out a ways in the water doesn't really bother me. I'm not really use to being around sharks but for the most part from my understanding if you don't bother them they won't bother you. Any cheap hotels by you? I want to get certified to dive at one point.

[Mr06evo]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Three points:

1) Please keep us informed about any info related to the Keys or local snorkeling (anywhere in Florida).

2) Being fairly new to this hobby you can always ask questions. And yes it can get expensive. I just hope you never have to deal with a 180g aquarium that develops a 30gph leak at a place where it is unreachable. I ended up having to replace bathroom cabinets that were on the opposite side of the wall the aquarium was on. Ouch!

3) Would love to see a pic of the car (maybe by PM rather than in this thread). The last drag race I did (legally) was back in 1969 with a 1967 Chevy Nova with a 327 cu in engine making 375 hp and I thought that was crazy! The Miata at Sebring is just awesome.

Will do Ron, that's a crazy story. I hope to never have to deal with something as crazy as that. I'm in the process up going from t5's to hydra 52's, but I need two more. Also got a good deal on a fluval m60 to use as a quarantine tank. Going to get all my fish out and let my DT sit for the 72days to get rid of the ich.

Let me dig up some old pics of the car and I'll pm them to you.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by SFish

I use to surf when I lived in California so being out a ways in the water doesn't really bother me. I'm not really use to being around sharks but for the most part from my understanding if you don't bother them they won't bother you. Any cheap hotels by you? I want to get certified to dive at one point.

I'm in Cape Coral which is on the west coast of Florida about 4 to 5 hours from the Keys. There are 'inexpensive' motels in the Keys, but any that are 'cheap' are really trash. We stay in Marathon which is on Vacay Key just before the Seven Mile Bridge. The Blackfin Resort is where we always stay. It's really a mom & pop type motel. But it is well kept, has a nice pool, a nice little marina with a boat ramp and a little old coral head island about 100 yards off their 'beach' (it's tiny and not all that beach like!). We usually do a test snorkel out to the island the day we arrive to test water temps and visibility. It's quite reasonably prices as small Keys motels go. In the same area there is the Kingsail motel and the Sea Dell motel. Both are quite similar prices and room quality. There is a Holiday Inn Express very nearby and a couple of bigger motel/hotels have opened up in the past year. We aren't looking for fancy rooms because we spend so little time there!

Originally Posted by Mr06evo

Will do Ron, that's a crazy story. I hope to never have to deal with something as crazy as that. I'm in the process up going from t5's to hydra 52's, but I need two more. Also got a good deal on a fluval m60 to use as a quarantine tank. Going to get all my fish out and let my DT sit for the 72days to get rid of the ich.

Let me dig up some old pics of the car and I'll pm them to you.

We (my tuner) just put a rod through the block of my car! At 5500 rpm it was making 250hp at the rear wheels. The guy up in front of the car said he heard a couple of 'pings' and then all heck let lose... We are looking for a donor motor or even a wreck to pull from. The new motor will be rebuilt with better internals and a few extras like better cams. But in the meantime I'm without my hot rod Miata.

[SFish]

I'll have to look around for a deal. I pretty much do the same thing as you guys. I don't care about the hotel because I spend so little time there. I have been snorkeling in Thailand before. That was pretty cool the fish were so use to people they would come right up to you but that was a guided tour. Got stung by jelly fish. Clear blue about the size of a silver dollar. Wrapped around my thumb. There were some cool green fish with black strips almost looked like some kind of Angelfish.

[Ron Reefman]

We see juvenile tropical fish all the time. But they are so hard to collect. I'm to the point that unless it's something I don't have, like a spaghetti worm (hard to transport), or an unusual color serpent star, I don't bother. I just enjoy the shallows because I can play with the animals which you really can't do very well snorkeling out on the big reef with a charter. Following an octopus or a reef squid watching them change colors as they move from place to place is always fun. I got to feed a 2' cowfish when I'd break open a rock boring urchin (there are thousands of them) at the site we were snorkeling off Bahia Honda State Park.

[bhbell]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

We see juvenile tropical fish all the time. But they are so hard to collect. I'm to the point that unless it's something I don't have, like a spaghetti worm (hard to transport), or an unusual color serpent star, I don't bother. I just enjoy the shallows because I can play with the animals which you really can't do very well snorkeling out on the big reef with a charter. Following an octopus or a reef squid watching them change colors as they move from place to place is always fun. I got to feed a 2' cowfish when I'd break open a rock boring urchin (there are thousands of them) at the site we were snorkeling off Bahia Honda State Park.

Catching fish is a learned skill with a long curve to it. I started saltwater aquarium keeping while in the Marshall Islands. I scuba so thought catching them would be easy... Not. Took a number of attempts to get it figured out. At one point tried to catch them on a #14 trout hook. It worked, but they were still a bit big for my 55 gal tank. Finally found a net that had a clear vinyl tube and a mesh bottom to it. I used a tickle stick to get them to swim into the net, then lift it up (they typically swim down first), close the net off with my other hand and then transfer them to my collection containers.

Originally Posted by SFish

I'll have to look around for a deal. I pretty much do the same thing as you guys. I don't care about the hotel because I spend so little time there. I have been snorkeling in Thailand before. That was pretty cool the fish were so use to people they would come right up to you but that was a guided tour. Got stung by jelly fish. Clear blue about the size of a silver dollar. Wrapped around my thumb. There were some cool green fish with black strips almost looked like some kind of Angelfish.

Sent from my VK815 using Tapatalk

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by bhbell

Catching fish is a learned skill with a long curve to it. I started saltwater aquarium keeping while in the Marshall Islands. I scuba so thought catching them would be easy... Not. Took a number of attempts to get it figured out. At one point tried to catch them on a #14 trout hook. It worked, but they were still a bit big for my 55 gal tank. Finally found a net that had a clear vinyl tube and a mesh bottom to it. I used a tickle stick to get them to swim into the net, then lift it up (they typically swim down first), close the net off with my other hand and then transfer them to my collection containers.

bhbell, thanks for the advice and info. I really appreciate it.

A learned skill, yes, I believe that is true. A friend of mine, using a net like the one you described is quite good at it. He is a diver, but does most of his collecting (including fish) while snorkeling. He also says it requires a great deal of patience. My wife gave me a net with the clear sides and net bottom for Christmas, so I'll try my hand at it starting this spring.

[bhbell]

I always enjoyed leisurely dives where I could reallystudy an area. Others often seemed to want to just cover area or distance it seemed. I one time was pursuing a sharp nosed puffer round and round a coral head. When I came around one time I spotted a 6 foot grey reed shark swimming leisurely toward us about 30 feet away. I pointed it out to my wife who was my dive partner. She looked at it, gave me the ok sign and then gestured for me to get back to chasing, and catching, the puffer. I still remind her of this every time I see one in a store or picture.

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[SFish]

I've never collected any thing before but it's cool to see these animals in their natural environment. I thought the elk horn coral was cool and the sea fans as well in the keys.

[Ron Reefman]

We had a cold front go through on Saturday which brings with it a strong west wind off the Gulf of Mexico. We don't get strong west winds very often down here. In fact this wind went from S to SW to W to NW fairly quickly, so I wasn't sure how effective it would be. But that kind of wind, if it's strong enough, and lasts long enough, will wash some cool stuff up on the beaches. So Sunday at high tide (11:30am) my wife and I went out to the beach.

There were quite a few sponges washed up. We've found that the orange sponges that are kind of like interlocking fingers, somewhat ball shaped and with lots and lots of little cavities and crevices seem to be the best for finding hidden treasures. We spent about 2 hours out on the beach with temps in the upper 40's or low 50's (that's darn cold in SW Florida) and winds of 10 to 15 mph. I came home with about 20 Porcelain Crabs and a couple of Pistol Shrimp. One sponge in particular had several red/purple crabs which is kind of uncommon. Most of the Porcelain Crabs we collect are various shades of olive green. BTW, the photo of the crab in my hand was taken when we were home as my hand would have been more blue than flesh toned. It was cold.





Elaine quickly got cold hands tearing apart sponges and went about taking photos instead. That's her passion. If you want to see some pics, let me know.