Elbow Reef, Carysfort Reef and Dry Rocks (Key Largo) 2009 reef pics

[aquavista99]

Great photos!!  My wife and I and our two teenagers are heading to the Keys in a few weeks.  We are staying in Key West for 5 days and Marathon for 5 days.  We plan to do some snorkeling at least twice (maybe three times if I can talk them into it).  Can you give me suggestions on the best places for snorkeling, preferred dive companies/trips, and any other things to see/do?  Also, what kind of camera do you use to get the nice underwater photos?  Thanks -Jeff

There are several snorkel trips offered daily in Marathon and Key Largo. Once you get down there, you will see signs for all the snorkel places. Key Diver (see link below) offers the best deal for under $40 per person. Trip starts at 12:00 and returns at 5pm and you get to visit three different reefs with approx. 2 hours in the water. The above pictures are from just one snorkel trip with Key Divers in Key Largo. I also posted pictures in the Natural Reef Photos forum from my trip to Marathon Key last year. If the weather is good, book a trip to Sombrero Reef. You will have several snorkel companies to select from in Marathon.....each trip is about $30 per person. You can also book a trip from Key West to Dry Tortugas, but the boat ride is about 5 hours round trip with lunch provided. You can visit Fort Jefferson and snorkel coral reefs 20 yards from the beach. Dry Tortugas is about 30 minutes North of Cuba but still in the USA. You can also book trips with dive boats on just about every Key.

My camera is an Olympus Stylus 1030 SW  point & shoot underwater camera....looks just like most digital cameras and can be used above water, at the beach and in the snow (ski trips/colder temps, etc.) as well. It is waterproof down to 33 ft and shock proof. 10.1mega pixel.

Links:

Sombrero Reef (Marathon)
http://www.divespots.com/scuba/spotID-36/view.divespot

Elbow Reef (Key Largo)

http://www.divespots.com/scuba/view.divespot?spotID=71

Dry Rocks (Key Largo)

http://www.divespots.com/scuba/view.divespot?spotID=77

http://www.flkeysgc.com/Dive_Pics/UpDryRocks1.html

Dry Tortugas (snorkel tour from Key West to Dry Tortugas)

http://www.yankeefreedom.com/?gclid=CPed-7Ddl5sCFVpM5Qod1DTVpA

Key Diver snorkel tours   (Key Largo)

http://www.keysdiver.com/

For the best beach in the Keys (some rank it one of the best beaches in the World), go to Bahia Honda State Park (17 miles South of Marathon)

http://www.floridakeys.com/lowerkeys/bahiahonda.htm

[aquavista99]

Key Largo from above the water (from the hotel to the reef) pictures

[aquavista99]

[aquavista99]

[Reefd Up]

I see how it is...taking pictures of cuttlefish to show off!

[Rayman]

amazing thanks for sharing all the info and pictures.