Florida Keys Programs Highlight Responsible Diving and Snorkeling
FLORIDA KEYS — Divers and snorkelers exploring the coral reefs surrounding the Florida Keys — the only contiguous living coral barrier reef in the continental United States — are given added purpose to actively help preserve this natural resource through new conservation-minded programs and apps.
Blue Star, a voluntary recognition program established by the governmental agency Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, includes an elite group of dive and snorkel charter operators whose crewmembers have met specific training criteria. Currently there are 25 Blue Star–certified charter operators in the Keys.
Committed to promoting responsible tourism, operators are evaluated annually, and are recognized by a flag or decal with the Blue Star logo displayed on their charter vessel. Divers and snorkelers are briefed on in-water etiquette, reef fish identification, practicing good buoyancy and taking care in placement of hands and fins as well as avoiding touching or standing on delicate corals.
Coral Restoration Foundation, with active coral nursery and rehabilitation sites from Key Largo to Key West, has launched OKCoral, a swipe-based app that enables snorkelers and divers to learn the basics needed to become a citizen scientist with CRF, answering important questions about the health of corals, collecting information about reef restoration sites and documenting data.
The app gives smartphone users the ability to support CRF’s amazing efforts by teaching them three basic methods in a game-like format: how to tell the difference between two species of corals that CRF outplants, how to identify “live” versus “dead” coral and what “fused” and “not fused” corals look like.
Once users complete the app game’s first stage, they are ready to begin collecting helpful data from Keys reefs and inputting it via the app.
Key Largo is now home to the only International Mermaid Swimming Instructors Association mermaid academy in the Florida Keys. For ocean enthusiasts wanting an introduction to the world of mermaiding, Ocean sirens offers discovery classes that include a mermaid tail fitting, instruction in breathing techniques and swimming with the tail, a safety briefing and information about the history and fantasy of mermaids.
Advanced mermaid classes teach participants how to do handstands, spins, blow bubbles and perform underwater flips to show off newly acquired mermaid skills.
An inaugural mermaid festival with performers, classes, craftspeople selling mermaid-related products and events is planned for July 5-7, 2019, in Key West. To learn more, call 404-580-4756.
Florida Keys visitor information: fla-keys.com or 1-800-FLA-KEYS
Florida Keys diving information: fla-keys.com/diving/
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