John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida, was established in 1963 as the first undersea state park in the United States, protecting the northern portion of the Florida Reef Tract — the third largest living coral barrier reef system in the world and the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. The park encompasses approximately 70 nautical square miles of ocean, mangrove swamps, and sea grass beds, serving as a critical sanctuary for the complex marine ecosystem of the Florida Keys. The reef hosts over 600 species of fish, 55 species of coral, and a diverse community of marine invertebrates including spiny lobster, queen conch, and sea urchins. Access to the reef is primarily by boat — the park's concessioner operates snorkel trips, scuba diving expeditions, and glass-bottom boat tours departing from the park marina throughout the day. Snorkel tours typically spend time at Molasses Reef or French Reef, where visibility regularly exceeds 30 feet and coral formations rise to within arm's reach of the surface. The most famous feature of the reef is the Christ of the Deep statue — a nine-foot bronze figure at 25 feet depth near Key Largo Dry Rocks, surrounded by parrotfish, angelfish, and grouper. Glass-bottom boat tours provide a dry-entry alternative for visitors who prefer not to enter the water. The park also contains two accessible beaches — Cannon Beach and Far Beach — with excellent shore snorkeling, a mangrove trail for kayakers, and a visitor center with aquarium displays explaining reef ecology. Kayak and canoe rentals are available for self-guided exploration of the mangrove waterways adjacent to the main park facilities.