Dry Tortugas National Park
Both these Key West snorkeling excursions are actually not located in Key West: Looe Key is about a 1.5-2 hour boat ride and the Dry Tortugas are about 2-2.5 hours from the coast of Key West. Yet these are the considered by locals and visitors alike the absolute best destinations for a Key West snorkeling ( http://drytortugasinfo.com ) experience.
The Dry Tortugas offers snorkeling that is directly off the beach. Snorkelers need only swim a matter of yards to start seeing the colorful display of coral reefs and marine animals. Looe Key's snorkeling is great because of its diversity of reefs and reef systems. In the small area of Looe Key, you can find five different types of reef systems. Snorkeling at Looe Key allows you to see a truly impressive variety of marine life.
"Everyone who comes to Key West and likes nature needs to see the Dry Tortugas National Park, but we are also now giving customers who go to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson the chance to experience a different type of Key West snorkeling out at Looe Key," says Jenna McCoy, a reservations agent with the Dry Tortugas Information Center.
Two ferries currently provide daily excursions out to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson ( http://drytortugasinfo.com ) for a full-day trip that includes snorkeling, breakfast, lunch, and a guided tour of the historic fort. Looe Key trips are also now running daily and include two different stops for snorkeling, a buffet lunch, and an expert on-board crew that will show you the best ways to snorkel and the best spots in which to do so.
For more information on both Dry Tortugas and Looe Key day trips, call the Dry Tortugas Information Center at 1-877-243-2378.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
