Looe Key
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Looe Key - a reef, not an island, named for the British frigate that grounded here in 1744 - is the Lower Keys' showpiece and, on its best days, the healthiest-looking classic reef in the chain. The spur-and-groove formations run tall and tight, elkhorn and star corals still holding their lines, with grunts and porkfish packed between the spurs in yellow rivers. Caribbean reef sharks patrol here more dependably than anywhere else in the Keys, joined by big barracuda, turtles, eagle rays over the sand, and midnight parrotfish in bruiser sizes. Shallow enough for snorkelers, layered enough for divers, and protected as a preservation area since the 1980s - the Keys' argument for what protection preserves.
The moment you come for: Reliable reef sharks, tall coral spurs, joint snorkel-and-dive appeal
Topography: Well-developed spur-and-groove reef named for HMS Looe, wrecked here in 1744
Know before you splash
Hazards: Very shallow spur tops in surge; weekend boat congestion.
Conservation: Sanctuary Preservation Area: no fishing or collecting, mooring buoys mandatory.
Who you'll meet
Caribbean Reef Shark
Great Barracuda
Green Sea Turtle
Nurse Shark
Spotted Eagle Ray
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★★☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting