This past week, I made one of my favorite trips and got to explore some of the most iconic dive sites in Key Largo. Over three days, I dove through wrecks, drifted across coral gardens, and encountered a variety of marine life that reminded me exactly why I love being underwater.
Dive Sites Visited
- Monday: Benwood Wreck & Hourglass (French Reef)
- Tuesday: Drift French & Drift Molasses (drift dives)
- Wednesday: The Aquarium & Winch Hole
Each site had its own charm. I've done a night dive on The Benwood but was finally able to see it during the day this time. For good reason it is a very popular site due to the wreckage and bustling marine traffic, made for a great dive. The Hourglass portion of the dive did not disappoint either.
Tuesday featured two drift dives, being the Drift French and Drift Molasses sites. I don't get to drift dive very often so it was definitely different. It's such a cool feeling as instead of fighting the current, you coast along and get to take in the wonders without having to fight back against the water.
My most hyped up dive going into the trip was The Aquarium. I had been told by numerous people that it was perhaps the best site for photography, and is always packed with marine life. Safe to say, it lived up to its name and was an amazing dive. It quite literally felt like exploring an aquarium, as the shape almost mirrors one as you swim along the reef walls in a circular pattern, getting an up close look at the creatures that live within it.
Notable Marine Encounters
While I didn’t get portfolio-quality shots of all the wildlife, I still had several memorable encounters:
🦑 Turtle at the Benwood: Almost immediately after descending on the Benwood, a fellow diver was signaling a turtle sighting, though for the life of me I could not see it. Eventually he managed to point out its shell to me, tucked within the wreck, blending seamlessly into the wreck. It eventually glided upward, effortlessly swimming over the remains. I managed to capture a few frames of its ascent and its departure into the unknown.
🦟 Nurse Sharks: Two separate sightings. On one of the dives, we started in an area where I saw what I thought to be nothing more than some kelp sticking out of a reef ball-like structure, though after a minute of looking at it, I realized it was the tail of something. It wasn’t until I swam to the side and spotted its face that I realized what I was looking at. On another dive, there was a nurse shark resting inside a cave-like opening on the reef floor, hanging out just to the side of a giant rock. While I wasn't able to get a great shot due to its position, I always enjoy seeing marine life in areas like this as it really gives you a look into how they operate in their underwater world.
🦈 Reef Shark: The very first thing we encountered on the Hourglass dive was a reef shark sighting, only briefly as it was already swimming away as we descended and I watched it fade into the surrounding water. Fighting the urge to chase after the shark was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do as a diver. I was able to catch a few shots before it vanished into the haze.
🐠 Stingrays: Multiple sightings across all three days. On the Hourglass dive, we also encountered a couple of stingrays. One ray swam parallel to us before joining another momentarily before swimming off. I was trying to catch up to capture a shot of them together but was far too late to get it, though it was still cool to see rays together. I've encountered a few on dives before, but usually they are just resting on the bottom so I was thrilled to see some in action. This continued on other dives as well—on one of the dives, there was one buried beneath the sand with only its eyes and spiracles showing. A different ray was actively kicking up a cloud of silt as we were swimming by, another great encounter.
Photo Highlights
Even among all the amazing sights, two moments stood out:
✨ Queen Angelfish: By far, the best shot I've gotten in my short time as a dive photographer. Perhaps the most vivid fish I’ve photographed to date. It took a lot of patience and perseverance for this one. Every time I came across previous angelfish, they would either move out of frame or position themselves to where I couldn't really capture them the way I wanted. I finally managed to get the perfect shot. The lighting hit just right, highlighting its electric blues and yellows, and the surrounding coral provided the perfect backdrop for its bright colors.
✨ "Puff Daddy" (Porcupinefish): This curious creature stole the show. We encountered quite a few throughout the trip so I had plenty of chances to get the shot I wanted. I was able to get the side shot I was looking for. The framing and eye detail made it a standout shot I’m incredibly proud of. The eye gives that "I'm done with you" look that I get constantly from friends and family whenever I make my legendary puns & dad jokes that I know they secretly enjoy. My puff shot is definitely one that will always remain in my portfolio and be a personal favorite.
Key Largo delivered on every front as always and I can't wait to go back. For any divers out there who have yet to experience it, it definitely should be on the bucket list for dive destinations. A combination of amazing visibility & dive sites that always await with an abundance of unique marine life will always make it a premier spot for underwater adventures.