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I spend a one-week vacation in December 1993 in the Florida Keys with a friend.

Florida Keys

Domz
2004-04-06 19:52:54

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We snorkel the coral reefs at three different locations. Thousands of brightly-colored (often iridescent) fish of all different shapes and sizes, crystal-clear water, and fabulous coral. Barracuda are everywhere. At first, it is rather unsettling to be swimming within 15 feet of them (a rumor I heard in high school was that barracuda have a frightful habit of biting off the testicles of men). Then I notice they only LOOK menacing, after which I start chasing them. I am so impressed by the whole thing that I plan to return for more. If you do not know how to snorkel, you MUST learn how so that you can have the experience of swimming in the coral reefs. To the left is a photo of the famous Bahia Honda—a beach that is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world, and just east of Key West. Bahia Honda is Florida's southernmost state park. Because of this geography, the natural environment at Bahia Honda is found no where else in the continental United States. The park has a number of biological communities, including beach dune, tropical hardwood hammock, coastal berm, mangrove forest, and submerged marine habitats. Rare and unusual plants here include yellow satinwood, manchineel, silver palm, Key thatch palm, and the endangered small-flowered lily thorn. Birds at Bahia Honda include white-crowned pigeons, great white herons, roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets, ospreys, brown pelicans, and least terns. In contrast to other Florida Keys, Bahia Honda boasts very attractive sandy beach along both the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay.

An obligatory experience in Key West is Mallory Square dock. Each day, several people in Key West ritualistically gather at Mallory dock to watch the sunset and applaud when it sets, then turn to watch the highly popular street performers (buskers) on the dock.

Best places to snorkel in the Keys, in order of attractiveness:

Western Dry Rocks (off of Key West)
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