In 2007, crowds of people watched internationally acclaimed marine life artist Wyland create a massive panoramic mural showcasing the Florida Keys’ underwater world. Located at the gateway to the Keys in Key Largo, the 7,500-square-foot mural wrapped around all four sides of a four-story building at mile marker 99.2, in the median of the Keys’ Overseas Highway.

Marine life artist Wyland takes a break after putting finishing touches on his 7,500-square-foot marine life mural in Key Largo. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

From Oct. 12-21, the artist and environmental advocate who lives in the Upper Keys is planning to do something even bigger.

Wyland, who credits the Keys reefs with inspiring much of his world-renowned marine life artistry, will spend 10 days restoring and repainting his three monumental outdoor murals along the island chain.

All three depict marine creatures that inhabit the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, which parallels the Keys — and he created all three to increase awareness of that vibrant ecosystem and motivate people to preserve and protect it.

As well as Key Largo, Wyland’s murals can be found midway down the island chain in Marathon (mile marker 50), and in Key West’s Historic Seaport (201 William St.).

Wyland portrays the Keys reef environment on traditional canvases and in large-scale outdoor murals. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Join him to watch and enjoy the restoration project Oct. 12-14 in Key Largo, Oct. 16-17 in Marathon and Oct. 18-21 in Key West.

“We want to inspire the public to see the beauty of the Florida waters and the Florida Keys in particular through public art, and we want to restore those murals so they will continue to inspire,” explained Wyland, who volunteers his time to create his public art murals.

(The paint, by the way, is being donated by the Dunn Edwards Corporation, which deserves many kudos for supporting such a worthy environmental project.)

Watching Wyland paint is fascinating since he works freehand, confidently outlining massive marine creatures with sweeping lines and then layering color and adding detail. Yet observing him at work isn’t the only attraction for visitors to the mural sites.

At each site, you can explore the Wyland Clean Water Mobile Learning Experience (the Wyland Foundation’s interactive science center on wheels), discover the artist’s recent paintings and sculptures in a traveling gallery, and even hear live music from members of the Wyland Blues Planet Band.

Wyland details the eye of a manatee during the creation of his Key Largo mural. (Photo by Gary Firstenberg)

“What I’m planning is to bring the Wyland experience — the art, the conservation, the community — together,” Wyland explained. “We’re inviting everyone to join us to bring the message of conservation, with the goal of inspiring people to be ambassadors for the planet.”

Wyland himself has been an ambassador for the planet throughout his career. He uses his art to encourage people to protect the world’s oceans, waterways and marine life — and notables from scientist Jane Goodall to former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan have lauded his environmental commitment.

A member of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Wyland has spent nearly 30 years diving and observing underwater life in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

“It is one of the premiere dive destinations on the planet,” he said, “and the beauty that I see in the Florida Keys is reflected in my paintings, sculptures and murals.”

Wyland's environmental efforts focus on protecting and preserving the world's oceans. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

In addition, the artist often gets involved in the community. On Saturday, Oct. 13, he’ll be master of ceremonies at the grand re-opening luau for Snook’s Bayside in Key Largo. Destroyed in a fire and subsequently rebuilt, the local landmark will welcome old and new patrons for an evening of fun, food, and frolic.

A few days later, Oct. 18, Wyland will host a screening of his documentary, “Blues Planet: Sounds,” at Key West’s Tennessee Williams Theatre. He’ll also create sumi brush art, with proceeds from its sale benefiting the local college’s Wyland Marine Science Scholarship Fund.

As if that wasn’t enough, he’s taking his Clean Water Mobile Learning Experience to the Lower Keys’ popular Boondocks Oct. 20-21 for a high-energy gathering featuring live music and art.

Wyland invites everyone who loves the oceans to join him in the Florida Keys to be part of his 10-day art-and-environment experience. Don’t miss it!

Topics: Arts, Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Environment, Events, Highlights, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Local Color, Marathon, On the Water, Voices Main Archive

After practicing a sport for several years, often we want something more out of it — a different benefit or end result.

Creating a coral "Christmas tree" helped blog author Julie find her purpose as a diver. (Photos courtesy of the Coral Restoration Foundation)

As a diver since 1989, I still enjoy exploring shipwrecks and reefs, dropping off a wall into the deep blue; as an instructor, I’ve trained hundreds of students, hoping their newfound enthusiasm would grow. Yet I have wanted to make this fantastic recreation of mine more purposeful beyond just the enjoyment of underwater life.

I found my answer in hanging corals on a tree. And I am hooked.

It all came about when I volunteered for an experience with the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo. CRF is a nonprofit organization that, since 2000, has been restoring staghorn and elkhorn corals — two important and threatened reef-building species.

CRF’s repopulation effort is the largest marine restoration project of its kind — seemingly a Herculean task, but one that more than 20 other volunteers and I were excited to tackle as we departed on a local charter boat for the coral nursery just a few miles off Key Largo.

Staghorn coral fragments cut in the coral nursery will continue to regenerate and develop more branches on the reef.

The trip followed a morning presentation where we had learned about coral’s health, its critical function in marine ecosystems, what natural and manmade threats exist and ways to protect coral in the Florida Keys. Now we were ready to get wet and get to it.

Ours would be a maintenance dive. Our mission was to collect any broken or loose staghorn coral segments, or branches, to attach to nursery “trees” — cross-sections of PVC plastic tubing rigged to the ocean bottom and buoyed at the top to sway gently in a current.

Seemed simple. Descending to only 25 or 30 feet of water we divided into smaller groups, each with a task to complete as we knelt on the sandy bottom.

My group joined Ken Nedimyer, CRF’s founder and president, who was laden with a tool belt of crimping pliers, wire ties, sections of monofilament and various capped jars of clamps.

Ken Nedimyer is the guiding spirit behind the Coral Restoration Foundation's pioneering work to preserve the coral reef ecosystem.

After we surveyed the nursery rows, Ken collected branches that he clipped into nubs. Our job was to clamp a piece of monofilament around each coral nub, thread the other end through pre-cut holes in the empty PVC tree, and (with pliers) close the clasp around the line so the coral nubbin would hold steady but could sway and, more importantly, grow.

Wow, the hour flew by. Admiring our handiwork, we felt like we had decorated a Christmas tree when the last “ornament” was placed. Months from now, our nubbins will be transferred to the reef to grow larger, attract fish to the reef habitat and be enjoyed for generations to come.

Other groups scrubbed algal growth and barnacles from nursery pedestals, untangled any corals in the line nursery or collected fragments that were ready to be transplanted to the reef.

Stephanie Roach (in blue wetsuit), the science and education director at CRF, demonstrates how to use a small chisel and hammer to clean the attachment site on a reef.

Volunteers get to “outplant” too, using chiseled hammers to clean away a surface, and securing a coral fragment to the ocean substrate utilizing the “Hershey kiss” method (squishing a round ball of epoxy in its middle to make the fragment adhere better).

More than 3,500 staghorn fragments have already been replanted on Key Largo’s reefs. That’ll be my next volunteer dive.

A tropical fish collector turned scientist and toolman, Ken Nedimyer is a rare lightning bolt of passion, commitment and comedic sense. After a single dive I was enraptured by what this hands-on effort means for people everywhere — not just eco-minded travelers or divers, but anyone who can recognize that no matter how small, our human efforts can help better a place and positively impact its future.

Topics: Environment, Highlights, Key Largo, On the Water, Voices Main Archive

Ageism is pretty much nonexistent in the Florida Keys. An 80-year-old can be fast friends with a 35-year-old, and the two can work together side by side in any number of occupations. And speaking of working, the concept of retirement means something different in the Keys than it does in most places.

Sea turtles find help and healing in the Keys -- at the acclaimed Turtle Hospital, founded by Richie Moretti (far right). (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

An outstanding example of a project that burgeoned after so-called retirement is The Turtle Hospital in Marathon. This is the only licensed veterinary hospital in the world that’s dedicated to the treatment of sea turtles. And it was established by a man who, though he wasn’t a senior, had earned the right (and the wherewithal) to retire in the Keys.

His name is Richie Moretti, and he came to the Keys after a successful career spent restoring Volkswagens. Since then, his so-called retirement has kept him busier than ever pursuing a passion and benefiting the ocean environment.

When he arrived in the Keys, Richie bought a small motel in Marathon and began filling its saltwater-fed pool with fish and other marine creatures. He quickly became intrigued with sea turtles, and established The Turtle Hospital in 1986 to care for and rehabilitate sick and injured turtles.

Former President Jimmy Carter (left) grins delightedly as he holds a juvenile green sea turtle at Marathon's Turtle Hospital. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Turtles can be injured by being struck by boat propellers, getting tangled up in fishing line and trap ropes, or ingesting fishhooks or other non-digestible materials. They are also subject to diseases such as lockjaw, which makes it impossible for them to open their mouths to eat, or tumors that can cover their shells and even their eyes.

Species of sea turtles treated at The Turtle Hospital include loggerhead, green, hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley. Antibiotics, diet, surgery, careful nurturing — you name it, a sick or injured turtle gets it all at The Turtle Hospital.

Believe it or not, this unique hospital even has its own ambulance for transporting patients.

When a turtle has recovered sufficiently, it is taken to the waters it came from and carefully released to swim away. Former President Jimmy Carter assisted in one release.

Those that can’t be released remain at The Turtle Hospital for the rest of their days.

Richie (center) displays a proclamation honoring The Turtle Hospital on its 25th anniversary. Shown with him are Florida Keys Mayor David Rice and County Commissioner Heather Carruthers. (Photo by Larry Benvenuti, Florida Keys News Bureau)

In addition to caring for the sea turtles, The Turtle Hospital is an educational facility. Guided tours are offered daily for people eager to learn more about the hospital and its occupants, and visitors of all ages have come to view the facility.

In 2011, The Turtle Hospital celebrated its 25th anniversary of caring for sea turtles. The county honored the occasion by designating Sept. 24 “Richie Moretti and The Turtle Hospital Day.”

What more could a man ask for than to be honored for his second career that’s also his passion?

Richie Moretti may be an unusual “retiree,” but he’s far from the only one who has embarked on a new life and second career in the Florida Keys. I’ll introduce more of them in upcoming blogs.

Topics: Animal Ambassadors, Environment, Highlights, Marathon, Senior Adventures, Voices Main Archive

Since the islands of the Florida Keys are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it makes sense that water plays an important part in the lives of Keys residents. And visitors from around the world are drawn here to participate in water activities from near-shore paddling to deepwater scuba diving.

A green sea turtle swims amid the Florida Keys coral reef tract near John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. (Photo by Frazier Nivens, Florida Keys News Bureau)

But a state park underwater? You bet! I’m referring to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and it’s located in Key Largo.

All up and down the Keys, we’re proud of and eager to preserve the beautiful coral reef that runs parallel to the island chain. It’s the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States, and we care deeply about keeping it healthy.

John Pennekamp was a newspaper editor for the Miami Herald and a devoted conservationist. Among his achievements was helping establish Everglades National Park. He later helped get a state park created offshore along the Keys coral reef. Dedicated in 1960 to protect the reef, it now bears his name.

Pennekamp State Park was the first underwater park in the United States — and its water activities abound. Whatever your preference, you’ll find it here. For example, there’s a glass bottom boat tour where passengers can get an excellent view of the reef without getting wet. (If you’re a non-swimmer, that’s the way to go!) The tour takes you out to Molasses Reef, a little more than six miles offshore. The boat is accessible to those in wheelchairs, as are most activities in the park.

Visitors on the Spirit of Pennekamp tour boat peer through viewing ports above the coral reef. (Photo by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

If you can swim, you can snorkel — no matter what your age. (I tried it, and it’s true!) After a brief lesson at the park, take a deep breath and immerse yourself in the underwater world. Pennekamp’s snorkeling tours usually go to reef areas where the water is from five to 15 feet deep.

Scuba training is available at Pennekamp as well, and the diving is so spectacular that Key Largo is known as the dive capital of the world. The park offers a one-day resort course to introduce novices to diving the reef — so even if you’ve never tried the sport, you can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

But not all activity is focused on the offshore waters. The mangroves that abound in the park provide a natural habitat for a variety of birds, and bird lovers with binoculars can take a kayak or a canoe out to explore the mangrove wilderness. Canoeing in the backcountry waters has been a favorite activity of mine since I was a young woman.

Even if you’re a total landlubber, you’ll find opportunities for enjoyment at Pennekamp. Try embarking on the boardwalk trail through the mangroves, where hikers can view the unique ecosystem, or follow another trail through the hardwood hammock of the park. These are loop trails so you end right back where you started.

Kayakers paddle along mangroves at Pennekamp, which encompasses 70 square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests. (Photo by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

While I didn’t hike the trails during my most recent Pennekamp visit, the picnic areas drew my eyes. Although no ground fires are permitted in the park, barbecue grills are provided so picnickers can savor hot dogs (or even steaks!) after a day on or around the water.

Camper? The park has great camping facilities too. Whether you favor a tent or an RV, there are full-facility campsites complete with water, sewer hookups, electricity, picnic tables and grills. What more could you ask? Even furry friends are welcome if they behave themselves.

All in all, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park offers something for everyone. After dinner, the kids can enjoy the playground while Grandma and Grandpa relax with friends around the picnic table or take a sunset stroll. And campers are pretty well guaranteed to sleep soundly after a day spent exploring the world’s first underwater park.

Topics: Environment, Highlights, Key Largo, On the Water, Senior Adventures, Voices Main Archive

It’s not uncommon for people to immerse themselves in televised reality shows, becoming “Survivor” fanatics, obsessively following a couple on “Dancing with the Stars” or tearfully mourning the departure of an unsuccessful “American Idol” contestant.

These strange "undersea creatures" were spotted in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary during a past Underwater Music Festival. (Photo by Bill Keogh, Florida Keys News Bureau)

But only in the Florida Keys this year, on July 14, can you TRULY get immersed in the action. That’s when part of the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef becomes a stage for “reefality show” personalities during the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival.

For this to make any sense at all, you need to know a little background on the festival. The underwater concert has been taking place annually for more than 25 years, presented by local radio station US1 at Looe Key Reef, about six miles south of Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

“This is one of those quirky Keys events that bring people together close to their environment, close to the water,” said festival founder Bill Becker of US1. “It’s a very significant event for a lot of people down here because it’s music underwater celebrating the coral reef.”

Tea, anyone? Divers at a previous Underwater Music Festival staged a wacky "Alice in Wonderland" takeoff featuring the "Mad Haddock's" tea party. (Photo by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

And, yes, divers and snorkelers who take part really DO hear music underwater. The music — water-themed selections ranging from the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and Jimmy Buffett’s “Fins” to the theme from “Titanic” (!) — is broadcast on US1, and piped beneath the waves by special speakers suspended beneath boats positioned above the reef.

“We look for music that sounds good underwater,” Bill explained, “music that has that kind of ethereal quality that makes you think of being underwater.”

The 2012 festival theme comes in part from a musical phenomenon: the television program “American Idol” — renamed “Underwater Idol” since it takes place on an ocean-floor stage. Attendees might spot “sea-lebrities” like former judge “Simon Coral” and current judge “J. Lo Tide,” or even famed former winner “Carrie Undersea.”

Could these divers, playing August Powers' instruments, be rehearsing for their "Underwater Idol" appearances? (Photo by Bill Keogh, Florida Keys News Bureau)

But the festival isn’t just being staged as a take-off of “American Idol.” Divers and snorkelers will likely see participants costumed to salute other “reefality” shows “Dancing with the Stars” (here dubbed “Dancing with the Starfish”) and “Survivor” (recast as “Subsea Survivor”).

And there will be plenty of instruments on hand in case they want to toot their own horns. “Reefality” show personalities can “play” underwater musical instruments like a trom-bonefish, clambourine and sax-eel-phone sculpted by talented Florida Keys artist August Powers. Born in August’s imagination and then carefully crafted, each instrument playfully incorporates the characteristics of an undersea creature.

Speaking of playful, a couple of years back the Underwater Music Festival saluted the classic tale “Alice in Wonderland.” The highlight was a sea-floor tea party featuring divers costumed as Alice, the “Mad Haddock,” “Cheshire Catfish” and others spoofing the story’s memorable characters.

According to participants, the underwater sound even attracted some indigenous residents of the reef — fish that, one diver swears, were moving to the beat.

Samantha Langsdale, dressed as a mermaid, blows air through a "musical instrument" sculpted by Lower Keys artist August Powers. (Photo by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

If the Underwater Music Festival sounds a little offbeat, remember that “offbeat” is often the norm in the Keys — and the popular festival’s quirkiness is part of its considerable appeal.

Plus, the event is really a lighthearted way to communicate a serious message of coral reef preservation. The musical broadcast features plenty of diver awareness announcements, which spotlight ways to enjoy the reef while minimizing impacts on the underwater environment.

And that’s a “reefality” check that should be music to any Keys fan’s ears.

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Environment, Events, Festivals, Highlights, Local Color, On the Water, Quirks, Voices Main Archive

Some 30 miles northeast of Key West and 20 miles southwest of Marathon lies Big Pine Key, home to a variety of attractions, things to do, and places to stay. Although sometimes overlooked by Keys visitors, Big Pine and the Lower Keys offer a lifestyle perfect for us seniors and others who want to take things slow and easy.

A subspecies of the Virginia white-tailed deer, the shy and engaging Key deer are approximately the size of a large dog.

Big Pine is home to the famous National Key Deer Refuge, where the diminutive animals roam freely, foraging for food and frolicking in the woods.

Many humans live within the 8,400-acre refuge too. My husband and I were among them, and the deer came right up to the fence surrounding our home, nuzzling the frangipani. One evening I took my camera and ventured into the field next to our property to document the friendliness of the small creatures. One tiny fawn came right up to me and put his face on the lens of the camera as I snapped his picture! The following Christmas my family members received t-shirts imprinted with the image.

The refuge was established in 1957 to save the diminutive animals, whose number at that time was about 50. Today the deer are no longer threatened by extinction and their number has increased to approximately 700 — making the refuge a wonderful environmental success story.

In 2003 the Florida Department of Transportation installed fencing and two vehicle overpasses along the Florida Keys Overseas Highway on Big Pine, so the deer can travel safely between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico sides of the road.

The refuge’s visitor center is located in Big Pine Key Plaza; stop by to pick up information about the refuge and the deer themselves. Explore the area by hiking the Jack Watson Nature Trail, named for the refuge’s first director, and take as much time as you want to meander along the narrow path.

In the Lower Keys, you can head for a refreshing spot like the inviting beach at Bahia Honda State Park. (Photo by Bob Krist, Florida Keys News Bureau)

(Please remember, though, no matter where you encounter the tiny deer, no feeding is permitted.)

Another unusual sight on Big Pine is the Blue Hole, a freshwater habitat for wading birds. This was an old rock quarry used during the construction of Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad, which connected the Keys to the mainland and each other for the first time in 1912.

Any angler will enjoy discovering the Old Wooden Bridge Guest Cottages & Marina, on the Gulf side of the island. This camp makes a perfect base for both offshore and backcountry fishing, and if you decide to spend a night or two, you can fish from the renowned bridge. Close by is the supremely laid-back No Name Pub, known for its amazing pizza. I have friends who come from Sarasota every year for a week’s stay to catch their dinner each night.

Not to be missed is Bahia Honda State Park, a few miles from Big Pine, where you’ll find the best beach in the Keys. You can take your beach chair and umbrella and settle down for a quiet afternoon with a book. An occasional dip in the water will keep you cool all afternoon. Those who enjoy camping can stay overnight, and cabins are available for the less hardy types. Reservations are required for tent space or cabin rental.

Looe Key Reef, renowned as one of the best reefs for diving, offers snorkelers and divers a rare opportunity to explore the coral and marine life found there. Just a few miles offshore, Looe Key is famous as the site of the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, an annual event that combines subsea musical entertainment with a focus on reef preservation.

Big Pine's Deer Run bed-and-breakfast takes its name from the tiny, shy Key deer that wander its tranquil grounds. (Photo courtesy of Deer Run)

Interested in some quality time in the unique Lower Keys? The eastern arm of Big Pine Key is the site of bed-and-breakfasts catering to those seeking a slow-paced sojourn surrounded by natural wonders.

For a relaxing vacation, you can’t beat the Big Pine Key area. Nature lovers, anglers, and those seeking a peaceful and quiet spot to while away the hours can find everything they seek on Big Pine.

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Environment, Highlights, Local Color, Senior Adventures, Voices Main Archive

It’s vacation time, and this year you’ve decided to take a drive from the mainland to the Florida Keys. You’ve heard about the attractions, the magnificent coral reef, and the laid-back lifestyle. And after a long winter of working hard, it’s what you’ve dreamed about.

Marine life artist Wyland takes a break after putting finishing touches on his 7,500-square-foot marine life mural in Key Largo. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Once you leave the mainland, almost before you know it you’re in Key Largo, world-famous as a dive paradise. One of the first things you’ll spot is a colorful marine life mural wrapping around all four sides of a building at mile marker 99.2.

This massive “Whaling Wall” mural is one of 100 that artist Wyland, an Upper Keys resident, has painted in the United States and around the world. (He has also painted walls in Marathon and Key West). An avid conservationist, Wyland often invites kids to participate in his mural paintings, giving them lessons in art while educating them about our oceans and their inhabitants.

As part of Wyland’s Keys public relations team, I was on site during his week of painting. I saw crowds gather every day to watch as Wyland transformed a nondescript building at the entrance to the Florida Keys into a glimpse of the wonders of the underwater world.

The African Queen is the original vessel from director John Huston's classic 1951 film by the same name. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Sea turtles, dolphins, manatees and fish were brought to life by the talented artist. Seeing the look of wonder on onlookers’ faces as Wyland grinned down at them from his scaffolding is an experience I’ll never forget.

Once you’ve seen the mural, you’re likely to be hooked. The waters off the Florida Keys beckon and you want to immerse yourself in the underwater experience.

But before you leave Key Largo, take a trip above the water’s surface on the restored African Queen for a journey into history.

Some of us older seniors will remember the film, “The African Queen,” with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, but the vessel that appeared in the film has a much larger history than her role on the silver screen.

Stephen Bogart, son of actor Humphrey Bogart, steers the original African Queen in Key Largo waters. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

She was built in the United Kingdom in 1912. The British East Africa Rail Company used her as a cargo and passenger ship in Africa until 1968, and later she was a passenger boat in the U.S. for a time. In 1983 she began taking visitors for rides in Key Largo, but eventually fell into disrepair.

Recently, however, the African Queen was completely restored to her appearance in the iconic film and is now a national historic site. In April 2012, this famous vessel was re-launched for cruises, leaving from the Holiday Inn Key Largo. You will savor the experience of traveling on her — available nowhere else in the world.

A little farther down the Keys’ famed Overseas Highway, you’ll get your chance to slip into the water when you stop at Islamorada’s Theater of the Sea, the second oldest marine mammal facility in the world. Open since 1946, this unique facility is home to many species of marine life and has attracted visitors from around the globe.

Marine life and lively parrots intrigue young visitors to Islamorada's Theater of the Sea.

Here dolphins, stingrays, and sea lions occupy several lagoons, all frolicking in the salt water pumped in from the Atlantic. Here too, visitors can swim with any one of the three species, a fascinating water adventure for kids and adults alike.

As a SENIOR senior citizen, I admit I haven’t done this (yet), but family members have swum with rays and dolphins and thoroughly enjoyed it. Even kids as young as three years old can wade with the dolphins when accompanied by an adult, so share the experience with your kids or grandkids.

Theater of the Sea also offers attractions including parrot shows, marine shows, guided marine life tours and a four-hour Adventure and Snorkel Cruise in the waters of Florida Bay and the Atlantic.

In case you haven’t realized it by now, the laid-back yet lively Florida Keys offer enough to see and do to fill your days with fun and wonder. I’ve been here for more than 20 years, and I STILL haven’t experienced everything!

Topics: Environment, Highlights, Islamorada, Key Largo, Local Color, On the Water, Senior Adventures, Voices Main Archive

The sport fish and game fish that roam Florida Keys waters don’t just provide targets for eager anglers. For decades, they’ve also provided inspiration for local and visiting writers — from Ernest Hemingway and Zane Grey to modern-day angler/authors like Jeffrey Cardenas and Jim Sharpe.

Angling in Keys waters, seeking targets like this vivid dolphin, has provided inspiration to authors of fiction and nonfiction for generations. (Photo courtesy of Captain Jim Sharpe)

Hemingway, who lived and wrote in Key West throughout the 1930s, discovered big game fishing in the Keys. When he wasn’t penning literary classics, he was often searching for giant marlin in the waters between Key West and Cuba with comrades like Joe Russell (founder/owner of the iconic Sloppy Joe’s Bar).

Encounters with the ocean’s “big game” found their way into Hemingway’s books, from “To Have and Have Not” — set in Depression-era Key West and his only novel with an American setting — to the Pulitzer Prize–winning “Old Man and the Sea.”

Hemingway’s angling tales helped make Florida Keys fishing popular, but he wasn’t the first notable author to develop a passion for it. That was Western novelist Zane Grey, who arrived in the early 1900s and stayed at the Long Key Fishing Camp, a resort built by railroad baron Henry Flagler.

Grey often fished with local guide Bill Partea — and reportedly missed only two Keys angling seasons from 1911 through 1926.

Zane Grey's "Tales of Fishes" was an early effort praising Keys angling.

In his 1919 pamphlet, “Tales of Fishes,” Grey introduced a worldwide audience to “Gulf Stream Fishing,” describing the use of light tackle to catch sailfish and kingfish off the Keys. It was the first time sailfish had been presented as a worthy game-fish target.

Grey (who co-founded the legendary Long Key Fishing Club) also was one of the first anglers to embrace a catch-and-release ethic. A sign at the club recommended bag limits: “2 SAIL FISH, 5 TARPON, 6 KING FISH, 6 GROUPER” and added, “Any Fish Caught Above The Number Of Each Above Specified Should Be Carefully Returned To The Water.”

Contemporary Keys angler/authors include Jeffrey Cardenas, also a photographer and renowned flats guide, who has spent more than 20 years fishing and drawing inspiration from Keys waters.

Cardenas’ books include the critically acclaimed “Marquesa: A Time & Place with Fish,” and a collection of essays about saltwater fly fishing titled “Sea Level: Adventures of a Saltwater Angler.” In addition, he has written pieces for magazines such as Time and Outside.

Captain Jim Sharpe, author of "Dolphin: The Perfect Gamefish," is a veteran of several decades of fishing and tournament wins. (Photo courtesy of Captain Jim Sharpe)

Few writers, however, have delved as deeply into their subject as Captain Jim Sharpe, author of “Dolphin: The Perfect Gamefish.”

Born and raised in Miami, Sharpe is a veteran of several decades of fishing and tournament wins. His career highlights include establishing and operating the Lower Keys’ Sea Boots Charters, writing for acclaimed fishing publications, and hosting regional radio and television shows on angling.

Sharpe’s book on dolphin fish covers the species’ life and habits, behavior, environmental influences and a wealth of fishing techniques garnered from his rich experience.

Just as it did in the days of Hemingway and Zane Grey, Florida Keys fishing still has a magnetic appeal for writers of fiction and nonfiction. Whether it’s material for a book, the adrenaline rush of battling a finned foe or the satisfaction of catching dinner, authors and anglers can find what they seek in the inspiring waters that surround the Keys.

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Environment, History, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, On the Water, Voices Main Archive

Ken Nedimyer, a Florida Keys coral restoration expert, was recently named a CNN Hero for his pioneering efforts to develop techniques to preserve coral reefs and motivate the public to get involved in the cause.

Ken Nedimyer displays juvenile coral cuttings in his foundation's coral nursery. (Photo by Kevin Gaines, Coral Restoration Foundation)

Ken is the founder and president of the Key Largo-based Coral Restoration Foundation — an organization that’s doing remarkable work and providing tremendous hope for the future of coral reefs.

According to CNN officials, CNN Heroes are everyday people changing the world — dedicating their lives to giving back to communities, defending the planet by protecting the environment, helping others overcome obstacles or solving problems in a unique way. And Ken Nedimyer certainly meets those criteria.

More than 10,000 “heroes” are nominated each year from about 100 countries around the world. Approximately 25 to 30 heroes are profiled, and the top 10 are chosen at the end of the year by CNN’s editorial board to appear in a special CNN presentation — with each finalist receiving a $50,000 grant.

One of the honorees, to be voted by fans across the globe in the fall, is to be named CNN Hero of the Year, and will receive an additional $250,000 grant.

Ken’s nomination came from Gary Yoss, a diver from Wellington, Fla., who had seen his coral plantings on Molasses Reef off Key Largo.

Ken has been named a CNN Hero for his dedication and pioneering efforts in saving corals. (Photo by Kevin Gaines, Coral Restoration Foundation)

“I had to pinch myself; I’m pretty excited,” Ken said after learning about the honor. “It’s a huge endorsement not just for me, but for the foundation — and this really puts us on the radar.”

Now 56 years old, Ken began coral restoration research efforts about 10 years ago after being involved in tropical fish collecting and aquaculture.

Today, his goal — shared by his small but committed staff of marine scientists — is to restore, cultivate and plant staghorn and elkhorn corals, and hopefully reverse their endangered status.

The Coral Restoration Foundation’s one-acre coral nursery, located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo, is possibly the world’s largest. It contains nearly 23,000 coral clippings that range from the length of a knuckle up to 15 inches.

The clippings are eventually transplanted to nearby reefs to grow and become independent structures, serving as habitat for a variety of tropical fish, and to subsequently reproduce to add further reef growth on the ocean floor.

“We can be proud hearing ‘Key Largo’ and ‘Florida Keys’ are taking measures to protect resources here,” Ken advised.

Overall, he has leveraged common-sense techniques and worked with scores of volunteers to succeed in an effort that some scientists thought was impossible.

Divers work in the Coral Restoration Foundation's coral nursery off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by Tim Grollumund)

It’s an effort that dive-certified Keys visitors can assist — by joining Ken’s “workforce” for coral restoration. Several times a year, coral restoration workshops are based at Upper Keys inns and resorts, attracting visitors who learn about coral reefs and participate in working dives to help out at the nursery.

But it’s not just the Keys’ coral reef that can benefit from Ken’s work. His groundbreaking techniques are also likely to have positive impacts for coral reefs in other tropical areas.

“We are developing a concept we can take to other countries as well,” Ken said. “Ours is a message of hope — I’m convinced this is the solution that can work.”

For his passionate conviction, pioneering actions and dedication to saving endangered corals, Ken Nedimyer truly deserves his new title of “hero.”

Topics: Environment, Highlights, Key Largo, Profiles, Voices Main Archive

It’s February. Nobody seems sure whether that pesky groundhog saw his shadow or not — or what it means when he does. Whether you’re stuck in the snow belt or the “gray skies belt,” it’s a great time to escape to the pristine blue waters of the Florida Keys.

The bronze Christ of the Abyss sculpture is an iconic location for Keys divers and snorkelers. (Photo by Stephen Frink)

One of nature’s greatest wonders is a living coral reef — and the only one in the continental United States parallels the Keys. That means the island chain is an unbelievable place to learn to scuba dive.

Check out the facts here, and then consider heading to Florida’s southernmost islands to “take the plunge.”

WHO can learn to dive?

Any healthy, active person as young as age 10 can learn and enjoy the adventurous sport of scuba diving.

WHAT certification classes are available?

If you’re seeking entry-level certification, allow three to five days for training. Also called “Open Water” certification, this requires classroom work and pool training, followed by one or more open-water dives at the reef.

Once you pass a knowledge test and complete the required number of dives, you become a certified recreational scuba diver — eligible to rent dive gear and book dive trips with most operations worldwide.

Generally, basic certification covers depths to about 60 feet.

Divers explore the superstructure of the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef off Key West. (Photo by Haig Jacobs/Florida Keys News Bureau)

Short on time? Use an online computer program to complete classroom work at home — dealing with concepts such as basic physics and physiology, and the importance of monitoring time and depth during a dive. (For some online courses, students must be at least 13 years old.)

Once that’s done, schedule time in the Keys to complete your water skills during open-water dives … and explore the reef.

HOW MUCH will it cost?

Scuba is an investment in adventure. The price varies, but a basic certification course generally runs a few hundred dollars.

When you’re researching professional dive operations, make sure you consider value versus price, what rental equipment is included in the cost, and whether or not you receive personalized, one-on-one service and training.

Snorkelers discover the undersea realm off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by Bob Care/Florida Keys News Bureau)

WHERE do students receive their dive training?

The entire Keys are an unparalleled dive destination. Some of America’s very first businesses offering recreational dive training were opened in the Keys.

You can choose from dozens of dive operations staffed with working professionals. Keys dive instructors actively teach and train each day — not just seasonally.

Click a region here to see available professional dive facilities: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine and the Lower Keys, and Key West.

WHEN are classes offered?

In the Keys (unlike other U.S. destinations), year-round subtropical weather and clear, warm seas mean an ideal learning environment virtually any time of year — which sure beats learning to dive in a cold, dark quarry or lake up north.

WHAT’S the “classroom” like?

Training usually is conducted in small groups, allowing personalized or even one-to-one attention.

Training conditions at the Keys’ shallow barrier reef are nice and easy, with light currents and great underwater visibility. You’ll learn about ocean waves, marine life, beautiful corals and navigation around natural formations during a dive.

The Florida Keys' unparalleled natural beauty draws scores of snorkelers and divers to explore the living coral reef.

Ocean depths from the shoreline to the reef rarely reach 20 feet. The reef lives in waters as shallow as five feet and as deep as 50 feet, but most reef divers log a maximum depth of 20 to 30 feet.

Keys shallow diving means you can safely spend more time on the bottom, and colors are brighter and more vibrant because more natural sunlight reaches shallow depths.

WHY dive the Keys?

The Keys attract some of the world’s most diverse species of fish, and you also can enjoy a “wreck trek” of venerable historic wrecks and ships intentionally sunk to create artificial reefs. These artificial reefs are home to a huge variety of corals and fish.

In fact, Keys sites offer divers — from recreational to expert — the chance to experience the underwater world’s beauty, diversity and serenity.

And that’s awfully appealing … especially in February.

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Environment, Highlights, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, On the Water, Voices Main Archive