[Tylers_reef]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Here are three good places to snorkel, and two of them are where I collected a rock flower anemone.

First is a small island just off the tip of Crane Point in Marathon. The island has no name. It's not the area due west of Rachel Key but the island that is between that shallow spot and Crane Point. It is a rock island and drops a foot or two into the water and has a lot of shallow sandy bottom as you move 1 to 3 feet away from the island. There are lots of rock flowers around about half of the island and 99.99% of them have their foot very well attached in holes that make them nearly impossible to get them out.

Screenshot 2018-06-18 07.57.38 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr


Next is the Horseshoe. It is at the northeast end of Spanish Harbor Key (one Key south west from Bahia Honda Key). It's an old quarry from when Flagler built the railroad back in the early 1900's. Inside it's 40+ feet deep, but around the outside there is lots of rubble and shallow flats. At the mouth of the quarry the bottoms slopes from the surface to 15' deep and there are lots of critters. There aren't nearly as many rock flowers here, in fact not many at all. But I happened to find one attached to a tiny rock so it was easy to collect.

Screenshot 2018-06-18 07.52.26 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr


Third is just a great island to snorkel, or was before Hurricane Irma. It's just 1/4 mile from the boat ramp at the southwest end of the Seven Mile Bridge. The north side of the island, from the boat dock around to the opposite side is shallow, 1 to 3 feet, and the bottom is covered with lots of old, mostly dead finger coral that is just rubble on the bottom. In among the rubble lots and lots of small sponges have taken hold. There are more emerald crabs, sea stars, sea cucumber and curly-Q anemones than you can count!

Screenshot 2018-06-18 07.59.45 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr

Ok awesome, for that first island. How are you getting to it? Are you going via boat or swimming out. If swimming, what area are you starting at? Thanks