Absolute Perfection

I finally made it out to Looe Key! Being a water-fearing, non-swimming kind of gal, any time the subject has come up in the past, I declined. It would be either too windy, stormy, poor visibility, or any reason other than perfection in my eyes. However, the stars aligned, and off to Looe Key we went. It's about 3 miles out from my beach. 3 miles to the only coral reef in the continental United States!

We packed up the boat with snacks, beverages, sunblock, beach towels, reggae music, friends, a positive attitude, and off we went.

I cannot recall ever seeing water that beautiful in my life. Where the reef is, the water is very dark. All around it, there are white sandy spots which show up as the brightest, most turquoise water ever. Then, the varying water depth all in the area makes everything a showcase of brilliant blues, greens, aqua, and teal, which unless you see it, you cannot believe water can be this color in real life.

On the way out, I saw a turtle swimming. It was so fast, one second he was there, the next he was gone. But, it was in fact a very large turtle going about his business in the warm waters of the Atlantic. Absolutely thrilling!

The Looe Key reef got its name from the HMS Looe which supposedly ran aground there in 1744 while towing a captured French ship, the Snow. The reef at Looe Key became a National Marine Sanctuary in 1981. This “sanctuary” designation means that there are absolute restrictions on spearfishing, tropical fish and shell collecting and wire fish traps. My kind of place.

Because of its unique shape and varying depths, the reef is home to over 150 species of fish including yellowtail, angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, sergeant majors, and moray eel. About fifty species of coral are present, many named for the shapes of their namesakes on land. These corals include staghorn, elkhorn, star, brain, and fire corals.

Looe Key is an excellent SCUBA and snorkeling site, but for someone like me its the perfect place to tie a tube off the boat and float. Everyone else on the boat snorkeled. We made new friends as another group of boaters asked if they could tie off with us ("of course!") and I watched everyone in the water as they reported what they were seeing ("I see a huge school of parrotfish! I can hear them chomping on the coral!" "I see a giant lobster!" "Wow, look at that barracuda!!!")

As soon as we arrived, our friends were over the side with mask & fins before you could blink. Mr. Happy Vegan set up my tube with a tether, and got me settled in with a frosty beverage, then set about going overboard with his Hookah rig. After an hour or so, somehow I became untethered, which was not a happy moment for me (magnified by my beverage being on empty). Fortunately I didn't get too far, was rescued, and my beverage replenished. All of us feasted on cruelty-free sandwiches, home made tropical fruit salsa, chips, peaches, and more. The beverage selection was swoon-worthy as well. Afterwards, it was back in the water for another round of snorkeling, and dreamy floating for me. The sound of steel drums filled the air, and I was very busy taking mental pictures as I soaked this new experience in. I didn't want to leave, but the day was growing to a close. We piled back on the boat, and packed up the gear. On the way back in, our friend Christina saw another turtle swimming happily, another huge bonus to the day.

Last night as I was in bed, I had the sensation of being back on the water. That happens to me whenever I spend a day on a boat, not sure if that happens to everyone else too. I don't mind at all. Instead, I rather enjoyed it as I was busy remembering all the things I saw, heard and did during the day. I cannot wait to go back out there, and now understand why so many people travel from all over the world just to get to Looe Key.... 3 miles off my beach. Incredible.