Any place to shore snorkel in KW?

[5sailingeagles]

We will be in KW after feb 10th any ok place to snorkel from shore? We have our own snorkel gear.
Thanks

[peter_krynicki]

We will be in KW after feb 10th any ok place to snorkel from shore? We have our own snorkel gear.
Thanks

The truthful answer is "No" as there is very little to see off the shore in Key West. People do go off the beach at Fort Zachery Taylor but the bottom is stoney and, again, there is not much out there. Others will snorkel along the beach at the Casa Marina and there is a little to see but nothing like what you are probably used to. And some people go off Smathers Beach on the south side. I was talking to someone who had just come out of the water there and he said he saw a few lobsters but no exotic fish or coral formations. It's better to try for one of the trips out to the reef.

Pjk

[sandytoes03]

We did a catamaran tour out of Key West and went snorkeling. That was very fun and we had an awesome time. It might be worth the money to take one of these tours rather than on your own.

Good luck!

[keywesst]

Agreed. Our reef keeps wave action and most interesting sealife out from the islands, so inshore snorkeling is pretty lame. Seagrass, baby gray fish, etc. A boat trip would be the way to go.

[Aquahound]

There's an area just off the recently closed Atlantic Shores that was under consideration to become an underwater marine park. That's about the only semi-decent snorkling from the shoreline. But........

I do not recommend it. There's no good beach to snorkle from and you're taking your life into your own hands with the boating traffic that flies through there.

Your only hope is to book a catamaran. Try Fury or Sebago.

[ParrotRob]

The truthful answer is "No" as there is very little to see off the shore in Key West. People do go off the beach at Fort Zachery Taylor but the bottom is stoney and, again, there is not much out there. Others will snorkel along the beach at the Casa Marina and there is a little to see but nothing like what you are probably used to.

Really? I spent a lot of time in the water off of the Casa Marina in November and it was so murky I couldn't see the bottom when it was only waist deep. I can't imagine snorkeling there.

[peter_krynicki]

Really? I spent a lot of time in the water off of the Casa Marina in November and it was so murky I couldn't see the bottom when it was only waist deep. I can't imagine snorkeling there.

I swam off the Casa Marina beach in 2004 and it was clear and there was a little to see, but nothing like going out to the reef. Everything on that side of the island seems to have been affected by Wilma.

Every morning when I'm in Key West I jog out to Smathers. One morning I passed someone who was all wet and had snorkeling gear so I stopped and chatted for a while. He is the one who said occassionally it's not too bad there, and the water farther on, across from the airport, always looks clear to me. Clear but very shallow for a ways out.

Pjk

[5sailingeagles]

Thanks everyone, info was most helpful. Im sure this will be a question for allot of KW first timmers.
We will just go sight seeing instead. will save the snorkeling for Grand Cayman.
Have read that the butterflies are very cool!
Thanks again