Florida Keys
United States · Florida
The Florida Keys offer the US's most accessible reef and wreck diving — the Christ of the Abyss statue, the USS Spiegel Grove and USS Vandenberg artificial reef wrecks, plus living coral reef tract from Key Largo to Key West.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Florida Keys reefs have lost the majority of their hard coral over two decades and were hit hard by 2023's marine heatwave. Wrecks and fish life still excellent.
Coral cover
Fish life
About what a healthy reef of its kind holds.
Heat
Hot enough that coral is bleaching now.
Fishing
Quiet water, and the protection is actively patrolled.
Sources · Reef survey · Reef Life Survey · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 24% to 13%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 24% |
| 2024 | 13% |
What you will see
34 species across the dive sites here
French grunt
Seen 1 month ago
at Christ of the Abyss
Least concern
Hogfish
Seen 1 month ago
at French Reef
Vulnerable
Yellowtail snapper
Seen 1 month ago
at Christ of the Abyss
Brown Anole
Seen 1 month ago
at USS Vandenberg
Least concern
Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard
Seen 1 month ago
at USS Vandenberg
Least concern
Red Junglefowl
Seen 1 month ago
at USS Vandenberg
Least concern
Great Barracuda
Seen 1 month ago
at Christ of the Abyss
Least concern
Green moray
Seen 1 month ago
at Molasses Reef
Least concern
Southern stingray
Seen 1 month ago
at Molasses Reef
Near threatened
Spiny lobster
Seen 1 month ago
at Benwood Wreck
Stoplight parrotfish
Seen 1 month ago
at Molasses Reef
Least concern
White Ibis
Seen 1 month ago
at Christ of the Abyss
Least concern
Spotted eagle ray
Seen 1 month ago
at Molasses Reef
Endangered
Tarpon
Seen 1 month ago
at Eagle Wreck
Vulnerable
Bar jack
Seen 1 month ago
at Eagle Wreck
Least concern
Porkfish
Seen 1 month ago
at Benwood Wreck
Least concern
Sergeant major
Seen 1 month ago
at French Reef
Least concern
Sergeant major damsel
Seen 1 month ago
at Christ of the Abyss
Least concern
Goliath grouper
Seen 1 month ago
at Eagle Wreck
Vulnerable
Atlantic tarpon
Seen 1 month ago
at Looe Key Reef
Vulnerable
Atlantic spadefish
Seen 1 month ago
at USS Spiegel Grove
Least concern
Nurse shark
Seen 2 months ago
at Looe Key Reef
Vulnerable
Elkhorn coral
Seen 2 months ago
at Looe Key Reef
Critically endangered
Staghorn coral
Seen 2 months ago
at Looe Key Reef
Critically endangered
Christmas tree worm
Seen 2 months ago
at French Reef
Queen angelfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Benwood Wreck
Least concern
Horse-eye jack
Seen 2 months ago
at USCGC Duane
Least concern
Glassy sweeper
Seen 2 months ago
at French Reef
Least concern
Bermuda chub
Seen 5 months ago
at Benwood Wreck
Least concern
Permit
Seen 11 months ago
at USS Vandenberg
Least concern
Greater amberjack
Seen May 2024
at Eagle Wreck
Least concern
Schooling barracuda
Seen year round
at USS Vandenberg
Least concern
Silversides
Seasonal visitor
at USS Spiegel Grove
Bull shark
Rare sighting
at USS Spiegel Grove
Vulnerable
Dive sites
USS Vandenberg
goliath grouper · schooling barracuda · permit · atlantic spadefish
Christ of the Abyss
french grunt · sergeant major damsel · yellowtail snapper · brown anole
USS Spiegel Grove
goliath grouper · great barracuda · atlantic spadefish · bull shark
Molasses Reef
elkhorn coral · yellowtail snapper · green moray · stoplight parrotfish
Looe Key Reef
elkhorn coral · staghorn coral · goliath grouper · atlantic tarpon
USCGC Duane
goliath grouper · great barracuda · atlantic spadefish · spotted eagle ray
What divers say
The Vandenberg is one of the great Americas wreck dives. Two days isn't enough to see all of it.
Good to know
Coral status
Reefs have been hit hard by bleaching and disease; protected sites are recovering.