Snorkeling Key Largo, FL |
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Rating |
Excellent |
Age |
12 and up |
Lockers |
Not Available |
Restrooms |
On board |
Food |
None Available |
Closest Coffee |
Key Largo |
Recommendation |
Out of this world snokeling, but probably scarry for younger children and weak swimmers. |
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Review: by Everybody
Snorkeling was an experience of a lifetime. For us it rivaled seeing the whales of Tadoussac. We went snorkeling with Sundiver Snorkeling. Our experience with them was wonderful and they worked well with the kids, but there are many other companies in the area.
When you sign up and pay for a tour you are told the time and location where tour begins. It is good to be in the area 60 minutes early. There is enough to do to keep you busy while you wait. This is an open water experience. The boat will anchor easily 1 - 2 miles off shore. There is no place to stand up in the water. Young kids do not always fare well in open water experiences. On ourtrip Will was one of only two kids under the age of 12 that stayed in the water. Our family, living by and frequently enjoying Lake Michigan, is used to big water and rough conditions. The day we went there were substantial swells, probably 2 to 3 feet, and this forced a lot of adults out of the water also.
We are a family that deals with asthma. The two of us that have it the worst took more time to acclimate to the limited air flow. These masks cover the eyes and nose; they feel very different than a set of goggles.The snorkel was limiting at times and caused some discomfort. It took a while to realize that we could have as good an experience just floating on the surface with the mask on and avoiding the snorkle all together.
We highly recommend that you do not attempt this with children under 10 unless they are exceptional swimmers who are comfortable in a variety of open water (non-pool) conditions. For kids that are younger, or not as experienced in the water, there are beaches with small reefs that can give you an easier snorkeling experience. We reviewed Sombrero Beach, but there are others.
With all this being said, lets get to the good stuff! We were on White Banks Reef which is roughly round in shape and only 6-12 feet deep. Everybody had a flotation vest on and gear that fit properly. The gear is sterilized between each trip.
The staff was informative, patient and very encouraging with the less confident snorkelers. They generously watched the children who couldn't overcome their fears so that the parents and older siblings could go off and swim. There is also a line to hold onto as you are getting acclimated to the water, waves and gear.
We saw an amazing array of living corals and fish. The colors of the fish were amazing and we even saw a few small barracuda. The staff said that small sharks are frequently seen here, but we did not see any. (Don't worry--they aren't great whites or anything.) Even when you get out of the water there were amazing things to see. A flock of about fifty pelicans buzzed the boat, and when we were returning to the dock we saw an iguana on shore!