Despite what the recent trends of this blog may suggest, I
do actually venture outside of the state of Colorado. I used to spend my
winters working in Florida (less glamorous than it sounds, believe me) and I’m
willing to try almost anything once (unless it involves jumping out of anything
or close encounters with carnivorous animals). My boyfriend and I headed down
to Key West for a weekend getaway, and had an absolute blast snorkeling in Looe
Key.
The Looe Key Reef Resort and Dive Center is reasonably
priced and highly recommended by yours truly (and our resident Key West
expert/friend who lives in the Keys). For $39 per person, you get a half day of
snorkeling plus all the equipment that comes with. If you’re stupid and forget
sunscreen (totally NOT me and Billy), they also sell biodegradable,
reef-friendly sunscreen for only a few bucks (I was 100% convinced I would
shell out $20 for an 8 ounce container. Not so!).
The dive center is actually located on Ramrod Key, about a
35 minute drive from Key West proper. We were staying on Summerland Key, so it
was a bit shorter from there. It’s super easy to find and is literally right off
the highway, so you can’t miss it.
Previously mentioned friend/Key West expert recommended Looe Key, which in retrospect should have been an indicator that this was a bit more adventurous than what I originally envisioned (snorking around right by the shore). Considering the person who told us to go to Looe Key goes spearfishing on a regular basis, I should have known better.
I didn’t realize we were legitimately going out into the ocean.
Quickly, the shoreline shrank and disappeared as we motored into open water.
Couple with the fact that our boat captain told us we would see “anything and
everything” (read: sharks), by the time we stopped at our first dive site I was
starting to worry I was getting in over my head.
I reminded myself that thousands of idiots go snorkeling
every year, and silenced the anxiety devil on my shoulder. I hopped in the water
with only a sliiiight death grip on Billy’s hand. As soon as I looked under
water (again, no experience necessary – put on the mask, the fins, keep the
tube above water, and breathe) I knew this adventure was going to be worth it.
 |
| Goodbye comfort zone... |
Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the thousands of
beautiful tropical fish we saw amongst the coral reef, so you’ll have to take
my word for it that they were there. They have a professional photographer that follows you around, but I quickly discovered I looked much less graceful underwater than I had previously imagined. We didn't get any photos. We saw a ton of different species,
including a goliath grouper that scared the pants off of me. They weigh about
200 pounds, and this one was particularly friendly and kept trying to swim at
my face.
And yes, we saw a shark. A small-ish blacktip shark that was
very far away and not swimming at me. Thanks to the herd mentality, I remained
calm and could actually enjoy the fact that I was seeing this incredibly cool
creature. It’s amazing what happens when you’re in a group of 19 other people
that are dying to see a shark.
The staff at Looe Key is awesome, and have the sense of
humor that comes with running a touristy business. We had everyone from
experienced scuba divers to extremely stupid spring breakers on our boat, and we
all had a blast. Except for the one spring breaker who got horrifically sea
sick, which was actually awesome because he wasn’t barfing, just sick enough
that he stopped talking, which is what everyone really wanted.
For the forever hungry, like myself, there were snacks on
the boat and our captain even grilled up some hot dogs. You have to pay for
lunch, but the captain just keeps a tab and charges your card when you get
back, which is super convenient. After lunch, we motored around to another
destination for more diving, before circling around a shallower area to look
for sea turtles.
For completing your dive, you also get a drink ticket to the
oh-so-Floridian tiki bar back on dry land. Delicious tropical drinks, excellent
adventuring, and plenty of sunshine – what more could you ask for?
Answer: this hat.
