[matt888]

Got to love the Keys! My wife and I recently bought a vacation home on Big Pine Key due to all of the water activities to enjoy. I'm an experienced freedive spearfisherman and between lobstering, stone crabbing, mahi and wahoo fishing/shooting... it's paradise. I do also keep my eyes open for marine life that is permitted to be collected. As mentioned above, rubies and emeralds are easily found under rocks in shallow areas. Rock flower anenomes can be found on the gulf side in 3-10' of water and in all kinds of colors. Ricordea can be found on the atlantic side on patch reefs in 25-40'. There are supposed to be scarlet hermits in the deeper areas of the reef (50' and deeper) but I have never spent much time looking for them.