Marquesas Reef Line
Marquesas Reef Line
Lying about 25 miles to the west of Key West, the Marquesas Keys are a unique formation of ten mangrove islands circling a shallow lagoon. This is the only atoll in North America, an ancient meteor crater with a barrier reef south of the islands running an east-west course. The islands are picturesque with gorgeous white, sugar sand beaches and dense mangroves, untouched by commercialism and, thanks to conscientious preservation efforts in this area, the Marquesas Keys have some of the most abundant coral reef gardens around Key West. The keys are named for the Marquis de Cadereita, a Spanish commander who lost a number of ships in the area in the 17th century. Some wrecks of this treasure fleet, said to be laden with emeralds, silver and gold, may still remain undiscovered around the Marquesas Keys.
SCUBA divers consistently rank the Atlantic reef line, about six miles south of the Marquesas Keys, as a superior diving site because of the profusion of sea life to be discovered here. The reef abounds with hundreds of species of colorful tropical reef fish, sea turtles, stingrays, and undisturbed coral bommies and coral gardens. The commercial fishing fleet in Key West does not venture this far, making this reef line an excellent spot for spearfishing. There is an abundance of snapper, grouper, bonefish, sea trout, permit, and jacks around the reef. Charter fishing boats can be seen fishing for the larger tarpon, amberjack, and tuna offshore and Florida spiny lobsters can be found everywhere around the reef and islands of the Marquesas Keys.
Experienced divers love to explore the many caves and overhangs, and the crystal blue water provides outstanding visibility and photographic clarity. The average dive depth is 40 feet with variations from 10 to 70 feet along the wall. Because of the Atlantic current, strong rip tides can be encountered, so the area is not recommended for casual divers. The Marquesas Keys are remote, so many dive boats offer reef divers overnight stays under the stars in this subtropical paradise. An evening of camaraderie between dives adds to the amazing thrill of diving the Marquesas reef line.