Ecotraveler....

KEY LARGO IS THE KEY TO

ECOTRAVEL IN FLORIDA'S CARIBBEAN

The Florida Keys are the Caribbean islands of the Sunshine State and Key Largo is one of the premier destinations for ecotravelers. It's the key to a great getaway in the Keys.

Ecotourism has become a buzzword throughout the U.S., but its basic precepts--the planned management and preservation of natural resources through the economics of tourism--date back to the early-1960s, when Key Largo and the rest of the Florida Keys became a popular subtropical destination.

Ecotourism activities in the Keys range from scuba diving on living coral reefs, to spying on rare bird species that rest on remote islands, to kayaking in serene backwaters, to hiking among divergent tropical flora within dense hammocks. The Key Largo area is the perfect place.

Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the U.S., is the showcase for ecotourism in the Keys. This park and the adjacent Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary are 21 miles long and contain about 165 square nautical miles. It's about a one-hour drive from Miami, but it's a world totally apart from any man-made metropolis.

The residents at Pennekamp include more than 500 species of fish and 55 varieties of coral, along with 27 species of gorgonians (marine life forms, such as anemones). The coral can also be home to crabs, sea urchins, snails, lobsters, shrimps, worms, chitons (mollusks), starfishes, sea cucumber, sand dollars, barnacles, sponges, and much more.

There are five basic ways to explore this area: glass-bottomed boat; scuba diving; Snuba; snorkeling; and sailing. All offer unique insights into natural life in the Florida Keys.

The glass-bottomed boat trip departs three times daily aboard the San Jose, offering a windowed underwater hull. The boat head to Molasses Reef, the most popular reef in the sanctuary, with fish of every size and color, high coral ridges, tunnels, and coral formations like elkhorn, staghorn, star, and brain. Tours at 9:15am, 12:15pm, and 3pm are priced at $14 for adults and $9 for children.

The Scuba Express, a 14-passenger boat, and the Dive Express, a six-passenger boat, depart daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm for trips to two different dive sites, including Molasses Reef, French Reef, and Benwood Wreck, a ship that sank in 1942 in about 35 feet of water. The trip costs $32.50 per person and is limited to certified divers. However, complete scuba diving instruction is also available.

Snuba Tours of Key Largo is offering guided tours of the park, as well as Florida Bay and the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. With Snuba, the air source is contained in a raft on the surgace and the diver is limited to depths of 20 feet.

El Capitan, Sea Garden, and Coral Sea take snorkelers three times daily on 2 1/2-hour reef trips. The boats typically go to Grecian Rocks, which is so shallow the coral sometimes breaks the surface at low tide. Visibility is usually great, with plenty of coral and fish, including colorful angelfish and parrotfish. The 9am, noon, and 3pm tours cost $25 per person and $20 for those under 18.

Half-day sailing and snorkeling tours are available at $32 per person. With all of these options, there's a way for every traveler to explore Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Further afield, divers and snorkelers who want to see something man-made should head for Key Largo Dry Rocks, where there is a nine-foot bronze statue of Jesus Christ in about 20 feet of water. There are also large brain, stag, and elkhorn coral formations and a four-foot barracuda who likes to be photographed.

On dry land, the Key Largo Undersea Park is a popular destination. Set in an acre-wide enclosed lagoon leading to the Atlantic Ocean, the marine park is designed to emulate the ocean's natural ecology and environment, while providing easy access and enjoyment to Key Largo visitors.

Through tours featuring professional guidance, visitors can explore this living sea attraction, including an underwater hotel, a working undersea marine research center, marine archaeology experiments, an underwater art studio, and abundant marine plant and animal life.

Many of the same colorful fish that inhabit Key Largo's famous living reefs enter and exit the park at their leisure to take advantage of the unique environment. President Ian Koblick says, "There is nothing artificial or unreal in the Key Largo Undersea Park and everything serves to develop appreciation of our marine environment."

This could be said for much of Key Largo and the Florida Keys. For further information about John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, contact P.O. Box 487, Key Largo, FL 33037, 305-451-1202. Contact Snuba Tours of Key Largo at 305-4451-6391 and the Key Largo Undersea Park at 305-451-2353. General information about the Florida Keys can be found by contacting the Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau, at P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, 800-FLA-KEYS or the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at 800-822-1088.