TRAVELSPECIAL
Aerial image of Key West , the southernmost point of continental USA
Stop 3 : Key West
The southernmost point of mainland USA , Key West is one of those places where people visit on holiday and end up staying for life : there ’ s a character with a story in every bar , and distractions galore to enjoy when you ’ re not off on an ocean adventure . There are plenty of operators to help you explore Key West – some more concerned with sangria than snorkelling – but family-run Honest Eco offers ( in ) credible Dolphin Watch & Snorkel tours on their catamaran , Squid .
One of the first electric-powered passenger boats in the USA , running on lithium batteries and solar , this quiet vessel is perfectly adapted for an ethical encounter with the resident population of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins , which ride the bow with abandon . With vegan food , a strict plastic-free policy , plus knowledgeable marine biologist snorkel guides , Honest Eco are the real deal . Their snorkel experience showed me another side of the Keys marine sanctuary : a beautiful sponge garden , with lobsters , crabs and starfish , plus an incredible sighting of a bonnethead shark .
Lined seahorse
Exploring a sponge reef
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