UNDERWATER EASTER EGG HUNT SET FOR MARCH 27 IN KEY LARGO

KEY LARGO, Florida Keys - Bunny suits aren't required, but participants will be wearing bathing suits or wet suits when they explore a beautiful Florida Keys reef in search of brightly decorated Easter eggs.

The quirky underwater Easter egg hunt, an annual Keys tradition, is set this year for Sunday, March 27. The egg-stravaganza is sponsored by Captain Spencer Slate, proprietor of Atlantis Dive Center, mile marker 106.5 oceanside in Key Largo.

Slate is to don an extra-large bunny suit and dive gear, then hide the Easter eggs for eager participants to find. Real eggs are used to prevent any negative ecological impact.

Egg-hunting divers are to check in at Captain Slate's Atlantis Dive Center and board a dive boat that is scheduled to leave the dock at 8:30 a.m. headed for a secret location on one of the Keys' pristine reefs. Upon arrival, the divers are to descend and start searching for the colorful hidden eggs.

Divers who discover the bunny's bounty are to receive T-shirts and free dive trips, regardless of how many eggs they collect.

There is no additional charge for the Easter egg hunt. The only cost is the regular dive trip fee of $50 per person.

Proceeds from the Underwater Easter egg hunt are to support Kids in Special Situations. Founded by Islamorada's Captain Carlos Del Valle, K.I.S.S. provides gifts and holiday cheer to the area's needy children.

For more information, contact Captain Slate's Atlantis Dive Center at 1-800-331-3483 or 305-451-1325, e-mail dive@captainslate.com or visit www.captainslate.com.

To find out about area accommodations, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-822-1088 or 305-451-4747, or explore this Web site.