Snorkeling In John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park – Key Largo, Florida Keys

If you are thinking about signing up for a John Pennekamp snorkeling tour when visiting Key Largo in the Florida Keys, this article will certainly help you out with useful information on visiting this state park that was founded with the purpose of preserving the only living coral reef in the continental United States. Today, it is a great place for family outings where you can enjoy exploring the great outdoors, snorkeling from the shore, and going on boat tours to discover the area’s finest reefs. Are you interested? Then let’s dive into this article where we share all the information you need to know about snorkeling in the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park!

About John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

The John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo was established in 1963 as the first undersea park in the US to preserve and protect the area’s coral reefs. It is named for John D. Pennekamp, a pioneer in environmental preservation. The park extends 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, covering approximately 70 nautical square miles of water.

The Coral Reef State Park is situated within the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary; these protected waters include a 2,900 square nautical mile area surrounding the Keys and are home to coral reefs, seagrass beds, and shipwrecks that provide habitat for a variety of marine life. This high-level protection ensures that the area’s reefs are among the finest reefs of the Florida Keys.

What’s more, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is not only a fantastic snorkeling destination in Florida, but it also offers sunseekers and water lovers a fantastic opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty.

Swimming and camping are the most popular activities here, but you can also enjoy walking the trails and learning about the local flora and fauna. The park also offers canoe rentals; take a tour through the mangroves, where you can spot alligators and small sharks!

How To Get To The John Pennekamp Park?

The park is just 65 miles from Miami and can be reached in approximately 90 minutes’ drive. You need to take Florida’s Turnpike south, then the US 1. The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park entrance is at mile marker 102.5.

The park is open every day from 8:00 a.m. until sunset. There is an entrance fee, the actual prices you can check on the park’s official site where you will find all up-to-date information regarding opening times as well as about the snorkeling John Pennekamp snorkeling tours.

John Pennekamp Snorkeling Opportunites

The park offers shore snorkeling (however, it is very basic) and several boat-accessible reefs.

Shore Snorkeling

Although the official name of the park is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, unfortunately, you find very little coral available from shore.

The best beach for shore snorkeling is Cannon Beach, where you can observe fish and crabs hiding on the sandy sea bottom or in the seagrass. Not so far from the shore, there should even be an old cannon and anchor from a Spanish shipwreck.

Unfortunately, Cannon Beach is the only site that offers shore snorkeling in Key Largo; you might try to check the park’s other beaches too. For better options to snorkel from the shore, visit the nearby Islamorada or drive a little further and explore Key West snorkel sites.

Boat-Accessible Reef Snorkel Spots

The shallow coral reefs around the John Pennekamp Coral State Park offer easy snorkeling for everyone. These reefs are situated just about 3-5 miles from the shore and available with a short boat ride, so even those who suffer from sea sickness can safely participate in them.

There is a good amount of marine life to see at all snorkeling sites; various hard and soft coral species and colorful reef fish await you while exploring the underwater world. Snorkelers can also expect to encounter nurse sharks, sea turtles, lobsters, moray eels, and eagle rays.

Depending on the weather conditions, your tour operator or boat captain will decide which reef is the best to visit on the given day. For your safety, snorkel boats are not operating if the weather is windy, there are big waves, or a storm is approaching.

The best-known Key Largo snorkel spot is the Christ of Deep underwater statue. Boats only visit this snorkeling site by flat sea and calm weather conditions, so you need to be lucky weather-wise to see it.

The “Christ of the Deep” statue is at Key Largo Dry Rocks reef. The 2.7 m tall (9 feet) bronze statue rests in 6 m of water (20 feet), and the top of the statue is at 2.5-3 m (8-10 feet) depth.

The original Christ of the Abyss can be found in the Mediterranean Sea. This statue of Jesus Christ is a replica, the Underwater Society of America got it from Egidi Cressi in 1961.

Snorkel boats usually don’t go there during busy times, such as holiday weekends, to avoid overcrowding. If you’d like to visit Christ of Abyss, the best option is to make a special request to your tour operator or book a tour that specifically says that this site is in the itinerary like this Two Reef Snorkel Trip.

Around the statue, you can see large brain corals and staghorn and elkhorn coral formations. Rays are common here, and you can also meet the big barracuda, which lives here.

Another interesting thing is that The Christ of the Deep is also a popular scuba diving site, and sometimes, it functions as an underwater church where divers used to have their wedding ceremonies.

Tip: did you know that there is a shipwreck snorkeling trail in the Florida Keys? Check it out if you are looking for an extraordinary snorkeling experience!

Snorkel Tour Options

To explore the Key Largo coral reefs, you can sign up for a John Pennekamp snorkeling trip with the Coral Reef State Park or choose between many other snorkel tour operators in Key Largo.

In-house snorkel trips (departing from John Pennekamp Park visitor center/marina) cost 45.95 USD for kids under 18, the adult price is 49.95 USD. This 2.5-hour trip includes visiting one reef, and you can spend approx. 1-1.5 hours in the water. If you need assistance, personal snorkel guides are available to book. Moreover, private snorkeling charters can also be arranged upon request.

Private boats go to the same coral reefs that the ‘original’ John Pennekamp trips take visitors to, and the prices are very similar, too, so it depends on your personal preferences which one you choose. We think tours that last 2-3 hours are a bit short, so we would go on a half-day trip for a better experience and more comfort.

A trusted Key Largo snorkel tour operator is Sundiver. Although we chose the park’s own tour, we recommend Sundiver. We called them a few days prior to our trip to ask about weather conditions and tour options, and they were super friendly and helpful!

Glass Bottom Boat Tours

Non-swimmers and those who do not feel comfortable swimming in the open ocean should also not give up seeing the underwater wonders of the Florida Keys. The state park offers a glass-bottom boat tour on a high-speed catamaran so you can see the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s finest coral reefs while remaining completely dry.

Such tours depart several times from the park’s marine daily. The price is $50 for adults and $26 for kids. Reservations need to be made in advance through the park’s website.

What To Bring

You can rent masks and fins, but it is an extra charge, so bring snorkel gear if you have your own! Snorkeling life vest is mandatory on all tours, but it is included in the price and will be handed out to everyone before the boat ride.

The clear water provides excellent conditions for underwater photographers; don’t leave your waterproof camera at home and you will be able to take amazing photos and film cool nature videos!

Bring a wetsuit if you find the water chilly; you can rent one from your tour organizer. Even if you don’t need a snorkeling suit, make sure to wear UV protection clothing that will prevent sunburn and help avoid stings if you accidentally swim into a jellyfish.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef Conditions

Unfortunately, like all the coral reefs in the world, the Florida Barrier Reef System is experiencing declines due to factors such as climate change, human intervention and weather-related damages.

Storms and hurricanes are frequent in the area and although soft corals resist stormy conditions well and can recover fast, hard corals are more sensitive to such damages.

Elkhorn and staghorn structures broke easily due to very strong waves and wind. As such coral species are growing slowly, unfortunately, it takes a longer time for them to start recovering.

Generally speaking, the coral reefs in Key Largo were in acceptable condition until 2023, when a major, so far worst bleaching event destroyed entire reefs and left dying corals behind. Fortunately, most reefs started to come back, and scientists hope for a fair recovery.

Sea Life To See

While exploring the underwater world on a Key Largo snorkeling trip, you will have the opportunity to explore Florida’s rich marine life. Among the most iconic species, snorkelers can observe hard corals (mostly brain, elkhorn, staghorn, and fire corals) as well as soft corals (gorgonian sea fans, sea rods) and sponges.

The Florida Keys also support a wide diversity of reef fish; expect to swim along parrotfish, sergeant majors, barracudas, groupers, grunts, angelfish, butterflyfish, yellowtail snappers, filefish, trumpetfish, and blue tangs.

Bigger creatures can also be seen while snorkeling; nurse sharks (occasionally hammerhead sharks), sea turtles, eagle rays frequent these waters. Common invertebrates on the reefs include sea urchins, lobster, shrimps and anemones.

Best Time For Snorkeling In The John Pennekamp Coral State Park

Key Largo in the Florida Keys is a year-round destination, but there are some periods better than others. The spring months offer clear skies and a pleasant climate.

The sea temperature is only 73-75 °F (23-24 °C) during this season, so you will need a wetsuit for snorkeling, but the conditions are generally very good for water activities.

The sea is the hottest during the summer, 83-86 °F (28-30 °C), but this is the rainy season with heavy rainfalls, so the weather can force you to cancel your trips and change your plans. However, moderate hotel prices are moderate during these months.

Fall is the hurricane season. If you schedule your visit for the months when there is a chance for hurricane activity, make sure to have good travel insurance in case of emergency and always follow the weather forecast.

Winter is the peak season with pleasant sea and air temperatures. Prices are higher, and there are more people on the beaches, especially around Christmas and Easter, but if you don’t mind crowds and higher prices, weather-wise, it is a good time for a John Pennekamp snorkeling experience!

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