When you’re not able to travel to the Florida Keys for the amazing diving, you can experience the island chain’s enthralling underwater world through the free streaming channel and app, FloridaKeysTV — which features hours of quality dive programming to inspire ideas for your next visit.

Diver Spiegel Grove Florida Keys

Diver Lisa Mongelia swims between gun turrets of the Spiegel Grove, sunk in 2002 six miles off Key Largo to become an artificial reef. (Photo by Frazier Nivens, Florida Keys News Bureau)

For example, “Dive the Florida Keys,” a 20-minute episode of the syndicated “How to Do Florida” program, is all about diving in the island chain. Host Chad Crawford shows why the Keys are the ultimate dive destination, with more dive shops per mile than anywhere else in the country.

Chad leads viewers on a tour of the fascinating History of Diving Museum in Islamorada to explore remarkable gear that has made diving possible through history — and to find out more about the unusual sinking of the Spiegel Grove, a 510-foot retired Navy ship, as an artificial reef 6 miles off Key Largo.

In May 2002, just hours before its planned scuttling, the Spiegel sank on its own and ultimately wound up on its starboard side in 130 feet of water. Three years later, when Hurricane Dennis skirted the Keys, it brought strong ocean currents that shifted the vessel into the picture-perfect position originally intended by the sink team. Thanks to that unexpected gift of nature, today it stands upright on the ocean floor — a “must-dive” site for ocean enthusiasts from around the world.

In the show, the host details the sinking saga and then dives the Spiegel Grove himself.

Key Largo dive

A diver explores the coral reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo. The reef system is the only contiguous coral barrier reef in the continental United States. (Photo by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Available too on FloridaKeysTV are multiple episodes of the Keys-focused diving series “Destination Dive,” showcasing dive adventures throughout the island chain. As each area of the Keys is explored, you’ll meet local dive operators, coral restoration experts and others influential in experiencing and protecting the underwater world.

Also featured is “Diving the Florida Keys,” a beautiful compilation of underwater footage from acclaimed aquatic cinematographer Frazier Nivens. Paired with mellow music, it runs for just under two hours.

The footage is excellent for playing during gatherings of fellow fans of the ocean realm. Viewers will see scenes of divers exploring many of the shipwrecks off the Keys along with scenery of fish, coral and the miracle of coral spawning, sea turtles and more.

You’ll also view footage of the sinking of the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg off Key West. A 522-foot former military troop transport and missile-tracking ship, the “Vandy” is the second-largest vessel ever intentionally sunk as an artificial reef.

In another program, travel photographer and filmmaker Rick Southers, known as “Rick on the Run,” takes viewers along during “Living the Conch Life.” Footage chronicles his video exploration of the conservation activities that many Keys locals, known as “conchs,” engage in regularly to preserve and protect the island chain’s unique ecosystems.

Rick follows the philosophy of becoming as immersed as possible in an area’s local culture to find out how he can give back and be of service during every visit.

diver spearing lionfish Florida Keys

Capturing and removing invasive lionfish is encouraged because it benefits the Keys’ undersea environment. (Photo by Captain Jimmy Nelson)

This mindset also underlies the island chain’s longstanding “Connect and Protect” mantra — which encourages visitors to make a connection with the Keys’ natural world so they’ll become inspired to support its protection.

Several experiences highlighted in the program involve diving. You’ll watch the host planting nursery-raised coral on area reefs during a recreational dive through the I.CARE organization in Islamorada — an activity in which recreational divers can participate.

He also submerges in Key Largo to capture invasive lionfish, a non-native predator that can decimate native reef fish populations. Since lionfish are delicious to eat, their capture is encouraged throughout the island chain to help the undersea environment — while providing a flavorful dinner.

Whether you’re planning a Keys dive vacation or recalling the pleasures of a previous trip, let FloridaKeysTV be your window into the region’s captivating underwater world.

Visit floridakeystv.com, find the channel on one of many popular streaming platforms, or download it free from Google Play or the Apple app store.