Molasses Reef

Spur-and groove coral reef 6 miles off Key Largo, anchored by an 1880s wrought iron light tower and routinely cited as one of the most visited dive reefs in the world. 30+ mooring buoys mark distinct sites including Hole in the Wall — a 9 m photogenic swim through under a coral ledge — and the Winch, where the 170-foot schooner Slobadana sank in 1887 leaving a brass windlass cemented into the reef. Depths run 2–18 m over stands of elkhorn and brain coral. Resident green moray, schools of yellowtail snapper and grunts, parrotfish, southern stingrays under the ledges, and seasonal nurse sharks. Inside Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary — mooring only, no anchoring or touching coral.