Marathon Snorkeling

A branching coral with thick, antler-like arms that once built the shallow reef crests of the Florida Keys. It is now threatened and the focus of major restoration work.

Acropora palmata

Rounded coral heads covered in winding grooves that look like a brain. Common on Florida reefs and slow growing, so a big head can be centuries old.

Diploria, Pseudodiploria, Colpophyllia

Purple, lacy soft corals that sway in the current on Florida and Caribbean reefs. They face across the current to filter food from the water.

Gorgonia

Colorful grazers with fused, beak-like teeth. You can hear them crunch on coral rock, and much of the white sand on tropical beaches passes through them.

Scaridae

A small yellow and silver damselfish with five black bars. Bold and curious, it is often the first fish to swim up to you on a Florida reef.

Abudefduf saxatilis

A deep blue surgeonfish that grazes Florida reefs in roving schools. Juveniles are bright yellow and change to blue as they grow.

Acanthurus coeruleus

An electric blue and yellow angelfish with a blue crown spot on its forehead. One of the most photographed fish in the Florida Keys.

Holacanthus ciliaris

A silver snapper with a bright yellow stripe and forked tail that schools over Florida reefs, often hovering right below snorkelers.

Ocyurus chrysurus

A slow, brownish shark that spends the day resting on the bottom under ledges in Florida. It looks sleepy, but it can bite if grabbed.

Guardian rule: Never touch or pull a nurse shark's tail.

Ginglymostoma cirratum

The turtle you are most likely to meet. Greens graze on algae over shallow reef and rest under ledges. In Hawaii they are protected and very used to snorkelers.

Spotting tip: Scan the rocky edges where waves wash over algae, and sandy cleaning stations where fish pick at their shells.

Guardian rule: Stay at least 10 ft away. Never block a turtle's path to the surface.

Chelonia mydas