The Florida Keys form an archipelago with more than two hundred islands. The reef is considerably far away from the coast, which is mainly made up by mangrove. In these shallow areas many sea creatures find a place to lay their eggs.
The reef that grows in the proximity of the coast is made up by coral banks. At his point, the bottom is slightly deeper and becomes more interesting due to better visibility. As depth grows, we can find canyons and caves. Flora and fauna are typical of the Caribbean and the surroundings of Key Largo have been declared National Marine Sanctuary.

This paradise of diving is, without a doubt, the most famous of the Key Largo Marine Sanctuary, due to the presence of the Christ of the Abyss.
It is the natural habitat of invertebrates, huge shrimps and lobsters. Numerous barracudas of considerable size live here permanently. The most famous is Smoky, who is almost 1,5 m long (5 feet)
The Christ of the Abyss is a piece made by sculptor Guido Galletti, and it protects fishermen and sailors. It is 3 meters (10 ft) high, weighs 1,800 kg (4,000 pounds) and is located on top of a base at 15 meters of depth (50 ft)
Around the sculpture there are yellow tail snappers, and bright blue parrotfish swim around close to the base looking for food.
The surrounding reefs form a kind of wall. The highlights, nevertheless, are the brain corals and the numerous schools of snappers.

The visibility is perfect and the water is full of light. This part of the outer reef is the most interesting. The area is rich in canyons and sandy bottoms, the platform starts close to the surface and descends vertically further on. It is possible to explore the numerous cracks and caves. On the bottom you can find an anchor called “Spanish Anchor”
On the shadowy part of coral bank you can always find small groups of grunts. All the species of the Pomacanthidae family are present here, from gray to brightly colored queen angel fish.
Also bat fish can be found on the corals. They can reach 1 meter (3,2 ft)

The most popular wreck dive is the Spiegel Grove, a landing ship dock purposely sunk in 2002 to create an artificial reef in Key Largo. The vessel is 155 meters (510 feet) long and 25 meters (84 feet) wide which makes it the largest ship intentionally sunk. For many years, unsuccessful efforts were made to make it stand in an upright position. Finally, it was hurricane Dennis on 2005 the one to do the job.
The depth range for this wreck goes from 15 to 40 meters (45 to 130 ft) which makes it a suitable dive for beginners and advanced divers as well.

The number of barrel sponges spread around the reef area make this dive a remarkable one. A wide strip of sand running parallel to the reef is the deepest point with 27 meters (90 ft), but the upper part of the reef lies at an average depth of 15 meters (50 ft) It is not unusual to see pelagic fish around the area and a wide variety of gorgonians and reef species. This dive is recommended for beginners and advanced divers.

Located close to the shores of Cudjoe Key, the Adolphus Busch was especially prepared for divers with large holes cut for nice swim throughs. It was purposely sunk on December 1998 and it is now an artificial reef splendidly growing, with three resident Jewfish. The ship is 63 meters (210 ft) long and its maximum depth is 33 meters (110 ft) which makes it a good nitrox dive. The level of experience to dive this wreck is advanced.