Ride Over Coral Reef in Key Largo
K E Y L A R G O, Fla., March 5, 2004 -- For those who haven't been there, thename Key Largo probably brings to mind Humphrey Bogart, LaurenBacall, Edward G. Robinson and a hotel full of gangsters waitingout a hurricane with booze and gunplay.
But once you get to Key Largo, those black-and-white movieimages are wiped out by the rainbow of reality: The turquoise sea,the green mangroves, and the brilliant colors of tropical fish andother marine life found in the only contiguous coral barrier reefin North America.
The reef is located in the Florida Keys National MarineSanctuary, just 3 miles from the shores of John Pennekamp CoralReef State Park. You can reach the reef via a glass-bottom boatcalled the "Spirit of Pennekamp" that departs from the park threetimes a day.
Most of us have, at some point in our travels, been let down bythe promise of a natural wonder that did not fulfill expectations —a whale-watching cruise where a black dot amid distant waves wasthe sole whale sighting, or a wildlife trail where you were luckyto see a squirrel.
Coral Reef Doesn't Disappoint
But Key Largo's coral reef does not disappoint. Although thereef is 20 feet below the surface of the water, the coral and fishappear magnified, as if they are right beneath the glass, whichjuts down into the water in a V shape. My two young children andeveryone else on board were spellbound for the hour the boathovered above the reef for what appeared to be close-ups of themarine life. We saw yellow-and-black striped Sargent Major fish,blue hamlets, angelfish, barracudas, and the occasional green morayor turtle swimming by. The coral and seagrass in various shapes andcolors swayed dreamily with the waves. It was like looking at themost beautiful tropical aquarium we'd ever seen, only it was real. Of course, serious scuba fans and reef-seekers who are worldtravelers may scoff; Key Largo's reef is not exactly like the GreatBarrier Reef in Australia. But part of the attraction of KeyLargo's reef is its accessibility. Snorkel and scuba trips to thereef are available from any of the local dive shops, but theglass-bottom boat was an affordable and easy alternative for me andmy children. And I didn't have to fly halfway around the world; Imerely took a day trip while visiting relatives who've retired tothe Fort Lauderdale area.
We also walked the short trails along the shores of the park,which showcase the mangrove swamps and hardwood hammocks that oncethrived all along the Florida coast, and we enjoyed spotting themany egrets lined up like statues to watch our boat pass throughthe narrows that connect the shores of the park to the open sea.
From Pennekamp Park, we headed to the Florida Keys Wild BirdCenter in Tavernier, a couple miles south of Key Largo, arrivingjust in time for the 3:30 p.m. feeding of the pelicans. Every day,a few buckets of fish are thrown out to supplement the diets ofwild brown pelicans who live in the area, and the birds — somewhatprehistoric looking with their long, flat, clapping beaks andplodding waddle — come by the hundreds in hopes of getting in onthe handout. You can volunteer to help give the fish out, but beforewarned: This is not a job for the squeamish, as the birds canget aggressive and the fish are not particularly pleasant to touchor smell. Even when surrounded by the splendors of nature, sometimes kidswant to climb and swing, so we also spent some time at Harry HarrisPark in Tavernier, which features a swimming beach and picnic areasin addition to a nice playground.
Easy on the Wallet
Naturally fish restaurants abound on Key Largo, but like a lotof children with unsophisticated palates, mine don't like fish. Sowe compromised and had supper at Sushi Nami, a Japanese restaurantwhere I feasted on sushi and sashimi while they had chickenteriyaki. We dined at a low table, seated on cushions on the floor,with our shoes off, but if that doesn't sound like fun to you,there are also regular tables, chairs and a sushi bar.
Other activities in the Key Largo area include fishingexcursions, biking and expensive "swimming with the dolphins"programs at any of several research centers.
For us, the reef, the birds and the sea made for a perfectlymagical outing that was easy to find, easy on the wallet and easilyas memorable as the movie. But if a visit to the real Key Largodoesn't shake your head free of the Hollywood version, stop in fora drink at a local bar called the Caribbean Club. Some of thescenes from the movie were shot there.
If You Go…
GETTING THERE: Take the Florida Turnpike south toHomestead/Florida City, then U.S. 1 to Route 1. Key Largo is atwo-hour drive from the Delray Beach-Boca Raton area, about 90minutes from Fort Lauderdale and just an hour from Miami. Route 1,also known as the Overseas Highway, meanders through the series ofbarrier-reef islands that make up the Keys; Key West is 113 milessouthwest of Key Largo. Finding any site along Route 1 is easybecause the road is marked with mile numbers. JOHN PENNEKAMP STATE PARK: Mile marker 102.5. Swimming, camping,hiking, canoe and kayak rentals, boat trips. "Spirit ofPennekamp" glass-bottom boat tours depart at 9:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m.and 3 p.m.; the trip is 2 1/2 hours long. Tickets are $20 for adults,$12 for children under 12. For reservations, call (305) 451-6300.Snorkeling trips from the park leave at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.;adults are $26.95, children under 18 are $21.95. Scuba trips are$41 per person and leave at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Equipmentrentals are available; there are also numerous dive shops outsidethe park. For more information, visitwww.floridastateparks.org/pennekamp/ or call (305) 451-1202. FLORIDA KEYS WILD BIRD CENTER: Mile marker 93.6. Call (305)852-4486 or visit www.fkwbc.org. Open sunrise to sunset, daily.Arrive early for a parking spot for the 3:30 p.m. daily pelicanfeeding; $5 donation requested per car. CARIBBEAN CLUB: Mile marker 104. Bar where some scenes for "KeyLargo" movie were filmed; (305) 451-4466. SUSHI NAMI: Mile marker 99.5. Platter of sushi, sashimi andtempura, $16.95; chicken teriyaki off the children's menu, $5.95;(305) 453-9798. HARRY HARRIS PARK: Mile marker 92.5; turn on Burton Drive anddrive to the waterfront, about a quarter-mile. GUIDEBOOK: "Hidden Florida Keys & Everglades," by CandaceLeslie, is an easy-to-use guide to the area (Ulysses Press,$13.95). FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact www.fla-keys.com or (800)FLA-KEYS.