Trip Report Key Largo/Islamorada Trip Report

[drrich2]

Your pics make the viz. look good! Especially liked the gray angelfish, couple of the green moray and that blue parrot fish shots. Very nice.

Back in 2013 when I visited Key Largo, compared to some mainstream Caribbean sites I've visited, I thought the viz. was a bit less (50 feet?), more diving over a flat bottom instead of sloping wall, decent coral life and fishier than Bonaire - particularly with some bigger stuff (e.g.: black grouper, Nassau grouper, more big barracuda). Does that sound at all like your impression?

You contrasted it a bit with Grand Cayman. In the future when you're considering regional ocean diving, Florida and the Caribbean, any thoughts on how likely you are to hit the Keys again?

I hope to someday; it was good diving.

P.S.: When you were at Fish House, did you happen to notice anyone with a fried lion fish appetizer? So beautiful alive, so hideously ugly fried...

 

[Skeptic14]

Your pics make the viz. look good! Especially liked the gray angelfish, couple of the green moray and that blue parrot fish shots. Very nice.

Thanks, the viz definitely wasn't bad, I'd estimate 30-40 on day 1 and probably 50 on most of the remaining dive days. It was cleaner and bluer than the typical conditions I was accustom to diving in the FL panhandle but my last dives were in GC where the viz was basically 100 feet for all dives so it was noticeably less than that and dirtier resulting in needing to be more careful to avoid back scatter.

Back in 2013 when I visited Key Largo, compared to some mainstream Caribbean sites I've visited, I thought the viz. was a bit less (50 feet?), more diving over a flat bottom instead of sloping wall, decent coral life and fishier than Bonaire - particularly with some bigger stuff (e.g.: black grouper, Nassau grouper, more big barracuda). Does that sound at all like your impression?

Yep sounds like a similar experience. The biggest impression I had was the incredible amount of fish life. It was probably as fishy as the panhandle except the schools were mostly tropical fish vs big schools of silver fish with some tropical. I only saw a few barracuda whereas the typical panhandle sites seemed loaded with barracuda. I did see a decent amount of grouper, no goliath though. The reefs were definitely more impressive than the panhandle but not nearly as dramatic as the walls/reefs in GC.

You contrasted it a bit with Grand Cayman. In the future when you're considering regional ocean diving, Florida and the Caribbean, any thoughts on how likely you are to hit the Keys again? I hope to someday; it was good diving.

GC is the only Caribbean destination I've dived so far thus the comparison. I hope to make this type of Keys trip every year or two schedule permitting, I really enjoyed the diving.

GC is better for my family as 7MB is tough to beat for my wife and the walls and visibility make for great diving too. After this Keys trip I think the next time I go to GC I plan to go with an OP that strictly dives the west wall vs north wall. I've heard it's fishier and based upon my lighthouse point shore dive that seems accurate. From memory, a couple of my GC north wall dives seemed barren compared to the fish life on these dives.

P.S.: When you were at Fish House, did you happen to notice anyone with a fried lion fish appetizer? So beautiful alive, so hideously ugly fried...

It didn't notice... I could imagine though, ha.

 

[ranada]

Opinion please for august 20 trip. Stay and dive in Key largo or Islamorada. My Team Cozumel group of 7 divers are staying stateside this year we are looking at staying at a VRBO. We dive half the trip and tour/sight the other half, so interested in best location for diving. All experienced cozumel deep water drift divers 4 of us with advanced open water certs.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Thanks for sharing great report, here in the keys as you noticed viz doesnt limit the pictures as much as the extensive fish life that sometimes blocks your subject lol

 

[Skeptic14]

Opinion please for august 20 trip. Stay and dive in Key largo or Islamorada. My Team Cozumel group of 7 divers are staying stateside this year we are looking at staying at a VRBO. We dive half the trip and tour/sight the other half, so interested in best location for diving. All experienced cozumel deep water drift divers 4 of us with advanced open water certs.

Probably depends on the dive operator you select, I liked the location of Atlantic Bay Resort in between the 2 but a little closer to Islamarado I think.

Thanks for sharing great report, here in the keys as you noticed viz doesnt limit the pictures as much as the extensive fish life that sometimes blocks your subject lol

I should've done a keys trip sooner, I was very impressed with the amount of marine life on the reefs and the long encounters with nurse shark and big green morays was awesome!

 

[deeper thoughts]

Probably depends on the dive operator you select, I liked the location of Atlantic Bay Resort in between the 2 but a little closer to Islamarado I think.



I should've done a keys trip sooner, I was very impressed with the amount of marine life on the reefs and the long encounters with nurse shark and big green morays was awesome!

Most definitely. If you look at the photos some of us post here in the keys the fishlife is outstanding

 

[HBVetera n2312]

Skeptic14,

I was on Crocker and Davis reef on July 22 and I saw the same huge green moray eel! Definitely diver friendly, wasn't he? And those nurse sharks, wow! They snuck up on me from behind and scared about 20psi of air out of me! What an incredible dive day that was. I went with Islamorada Dive Center, and will definitely go back with them. Their boat is tied up literally steps from the shop and the entire staff was great!

 

[HBVetera n2312]

Oh and how could I forget, our favorite place we ate at was the Old Tavernier, best breakfast The Green Turtle....

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Most definitely. If you look at the photos some of us post here in the keys the fishlife is outstanding

Yup. I got to dive the Spiegel Grove when I was in Key Largo last year. The quantity of Barracuda was absolutely mind blowing. Many dozen if not hundreds of them.

There was no current the day that I dove. They were just stationary/suspended in place. It looked like I paused a 4K HD nature documentary in my living room.

 

[deeper thoughts]

T

Yup. I got to dive the Spiegel Grove when I was in Key Largo last year. The quantity of Barracuda was absolutely mind blowing. Many dozen if not hundreds of them.

There was no current the day that I dove. They were just stationary/suspended in place. It looked like I paused a 4K HD nature documentary in my living room.

They have bounced back nicely. Since the limits and sizes you could take were changed.