TRAVELSPECIAL
Christ of the Abyss statue
Stop 1 : Key Largo
An hour ’ s drive south of Miami , Key Largo is the first stop on my Florida Keys road trip . The archipelago ’ s longest Key is the access point for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park , the United States ’ first marine reserve , which covers 70 nautical square miles of coral reefs , three to eight miles offshore . Key Largo has more than 100 dive sites – including several wrecks – many of them shallow enough for snorkellers .
Joining a tour with Horizon Divers , I head to Key Largo Dry Rocks Reef and slip into the warm , clear water to explore the Keys ’ famous man-made structure : the
3m-tall coral-sprouting statue , Christ of the Abyss , hands raised eternally to the heavens as it shimmers in the blue . Look out for green , hawksbill and loggerhead turtles , spotted eagle rays , schooling fish and barracudas swimming through the nearby gardens of elkhorn corals and purple sea fans .
Green turtle on the reef
Great Egret at Key Largo
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