Florida Keys

Nestling off the southern coast of Florida, the archipelago of Florida Keys is a popular holiday destination. With miles of beautiful islands to explore, it's a visitors' paradise - your holiday can be as relaxing or as lively as you wish.

Located at the southernmost tip of Florida, the famous islands boast an average temperature of 25.5°C. If you fancy taking a walk on the wild side, there are walking trails, eco-tours and environmental centres, while traditional holiday activities like relaxing on the beach can be enjoyed in the glorious tropical climate.

Marine activities

The archipelago of islands spans 125 miles long and is a unique location where visitors can enjoy various marine-based activities, such as deep-sea diving, snorkelling and fishing. There are plenty of dive-snorkel charter captains who are waiting to show visitors the only living coral barrier reef in North America, and anglers can enjoy a full range of world-famous fishing locations.

Located around five miles offshore and running the length of the Keys, the coral reef is teeming with a kaleidoscope of sea life. Creating a scuba diving experience like no other, the marine life includes schools of blue-striped grunts and green moray eels – it’s well worth a closer look!

The United States government has established the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary with the aim of protecting the marine habitat - the number one priority in the region.

As well as the coral reef, with its intricate coral formations, the waters around Florida Keys also contain coral-encrusted shipwrecks that are a source of fascination for divers. Snorkellers can enjoy the shallow reefs, while there are deeper reefs for the experienced diver.

Edged by the Florida mainland and the “inner” curve of the Keys, Florida Bay is a world-renowned fishing location, as it's home to five popular game fish: tarpon, bonefish, permit, snook and redfish (also known as red drum).

Tarpon-feeding

Robbie's Marina, at Islamorada, enables visitors to see between 50 and 100 massive tarpons swimming in their natural environment - the tarpon is an air-breathing fish of the Megalops family and it's thrilling to experience what can only be described as a feeding frenzy!

The marina has a fascinating history, as the tarpon-feeding started by chance. The owner found a tarpon floundering in the shallow water near the dock back in 1976 and realised the fish had a serious mouth injury that was preventing him from feeding.

He placed the tarpon (nicknamed Scarface) in his shrimp tank and arranged for a vet to operate to stitch the wound. The surgery was a success and after several days of hand-feeding Scarface, he made a full recovery. Six months later, he was released back into the ocean.

However, he continued to return to the docks, bringing other tarpon with him to wait for food. Increasing numbers of the fish appeared, becoming a tourist attraction in their own right. Tarpon-feeding at Robbie's has become a long-standing tradition.

Dolphin centre

The Dolphin Research Centre at Marathon is an educational centre, where visitors can interact with the dolphins. The dolphinarium, located on Grassy Key, comprises 90,000 sq. ft of spectacular saltwater lagoons carved out of the shoreline.

As well as dolphins, it's also home to California sea lions and features memorable experiences that enable visitors to learn all about marine mammals and their environment. There's also a chance to swim with dolphins, learn how to communicate with them via hand-signals and take part in other interactive programmes.

You can also visit sea turtles at the nearby Sea Turtle Hospital, run by the Hidden Harbour Marine Environmental Project Inc. As a charitable corporation, it operates a veterinary hospital for sick and injured sea turtles that are rescued, rehabilitated and released back into the wild in the Florida Keys.

The education centre and gift shop are open daily and educational tours are organised regularly throughout the day. At the end of each tour, visitors are invited to feed the sea turtles who are permanent residents at the centre.

Culture

Enjoy the sight-seeing at Florida Keys, taking in the spectacular Seven Mile Bridge, which connects Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys, to Knight's Key in the Middle Keys.

Often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, it provides access to Big Pine Key (a great area for fishing) and Bahia Honda State Park, where you can experience one of America's best beaches.

Visit writer Ernest Hemingway's Home and Museum in Key West, where you can see his much-loved collection of 17th and 18th-century Spanish furniture. The beautiful gardens are bursting with colour – and more than 40 cats (the descendants of Hemingway's own pet cats)!

Renowned for its sunset celebrations, Mallory Square in Old Town, Key West is packed with entertainers and vendors who create a festive atmosphere. The legendary sunset over the Gulf of Mexico provides an idyllic backdrop to the festivities.

Solent Plastics

If you're planning the marine-themed holiday of a lifetime, Solent Plastics' Gulper equivalent storage boxes are great for transporting and storing wet gear, diving and snorkelling equipment.

The 80-litre capacity box comes with great savings when you purchase from us, compared to the dive shops. Please contact us on 01794 514478 for further details.