CARLTON WARD JR.:
Florida Wild
Reef at Loggerhead Key.
Coral reef rises close
to the surface along the
west side of Loggerhead Key.
I had enjoyed exploring
this area for three days while
on assignment for
The Nature Conservancy Magazine,
amazed by the diversity but
also frustrated by wind,
waves, and clouds that made
photographing difficult.
Later, as I looked out over
the Gulf, I saw that the wind
was backing off and the
water was calming.
I raced the dinghy around
the island, tied it to a
mooring, and swam three
hundred yards into a favorite
place on the reef,
just in time for the setting
sun to color the lighthouse.
A flash underwater
helped light the reef.
OnV
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2015
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