Beneath the Surface Media

Forget Kokomo. Key Largo is the pristine paradise where you wanna go.

Coral reef in the Florida Keys.
Diving the U.S.N.S. Vandenberg in Key West, Florida.

The Florida Keys are home to the world’s third largest living coral reef. Here’s how tourists can explore this vibrant ecosystem, by both land and sea.

Despite its small size, the Florida Keys pack a punch. In this 125-mile-long ribbon of islands stretching from the southern tip of Florida, travelers find some of the United States’ most vibrant natural worlds.

The archipelago is framed by the Florida Reef Tract, North America’s only living coral barrier reef and the third largest in the world. It’s home to more than 45 species of hard coral and 500 species of fish. It’s also essential to the Sunshine State, buffering its shoreline (coral reefs absorb 97 percent of a wave’s energy) and supporting the economy through tourism and fisheries…. Read more – Forget Kokomo. Key Largo is the pristine paradise where you wanna go. – published in National Geographic Travel.