As many as 800,000 divers travel to the Florida Keys each year to discover the wonder and beauty of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, whose waters surround the island chain. Here, Keys dive pros offer tips for safe, successful and memorable dive experiences — and suggestions about giving back to the marine environment.
Recently the Florida Keys’ Conch Republic lost a beloved guiding spirit: Captain Finbar Gittelman. Owner and master of the majestic Schooner Wolf, he was the longtime First Sea Lord and Supreme Commander of the Keys’ picturesque Conch Republic Military. Now those who loved him, and the Conch Republic, will carry on his legacy.
Maybe it’s because the Florida Keys have never experienced a traditional white Christmas. Or because Keys residents are passionate about celebrating special occasions. But whatever the reason, despite the subtropical climate, people in the island chain go a little bit overboard with holiday decorations — and even “deck the hulls” for festive boat parades.
Spencer Slate, who owns Captain Slate’s SCUBA Adventures in the Upper Florida Keys, grew up watching television’s iconic “Sea Hunt” and today believes every diver is an ecologist. Inducted into the International SCUBA Diving Hall of Fame in 2004, he encourages people to be watch-keepers who help preserve and protect the world’s oceans.
In difficult times, it’s calming to recall places that engender a sense of peace — such as the majestic "Christ of the Deep" statue, installed in the waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in 1965. The 9-foot bronze has become an iconic symbol of Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
Islamorada fishing guide and captain Steve Friedman loves water: salt water, fresh water, blue water and particularly clean water. Friedman’s love of water includes prioritizing the preservation and restoration of the South Florida ecosystem, and the management of fisheries that provide a safe haven for the Florida Keys fish he loves to catch.
Daytime swordfishing, or catching a broadbill in broad daylight, was pioneered off the Florida Keys’ Islamorada — an area known as the “Sportfishing Capital of the World” and the home of the largest offshore charterboat fleet in the entire Keys island chain. So how difficult is it to battle and catch a prized swordfish?
The Lower Florida Keys’ sub-sea world will become a concert venue Saturday, July 13, when divers and snorkelers immerse themselves in a musical adventure that promotes reef protection. It’s called the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, and it’s unlike any other dive or snorkel experience — OR any other music festival — on the planet.
Allison Delashmit is the executive director of the Lower Keys (Fishing) Guides Association, which includes more than 100 vetted guide members and 150-200 angler members. Her goals include protecting and maintaining the organization’s integrity, helping to protect and preserve the Keys fishery, and providing a voice for future fisheries management in the Keys.
Sometimes in Key West, people get that “sinking feeling.” It happens each Memorial Day weekend when they compete in the weird and wonderful Schooner Wharf Minimal Regatta — where, in the course of one wacky afternoon, many participating vessels simply disintegrate in the water, leaving their “captains” dogpaddling intrepidly while spectators howl with laughter.