Snorkeling the Florida Keys

Description

“A thinking person’s guide to exploring the rich maritime history and vital ecology of south Florida’s reef system, laden with fascinating historical nuggets and practical tips for novice and experienced snorkelers.”—Susan Cocking, Miami Herald From Carysfort Reef to Indian Key to Dry Tortugas National Park, the Florida Keys provide many excellent and diverse snorkeling opportunities among brilliant corals teeming with remarkable sea life and sunken ships from long ago. Snorkeling the Florida Keys dives into more than forty unforgettable sites, including reefs, wrecks, and beaches. The third largest barrier reef system in the world runs along the east side of the Florida Keys and is fed by the nutrient-rich waters of the Gulf Stream, which support the abundant growth of bright-hued corals. These warm waters are also home to spectacular animal life. From seahorses to manatees, nature’s most intriguing wonders can be found right around an outcropping of coral or grazing in algae. While today these reefs are a playground for snorkelers, fishermen, and divers, these same waters were once feared by leery sailors. The corals lurking just beneath the surface were ship wreckers, stony daggers capable of carving up a wooden hull. Today those sunken ships provide stunning backdrops for snorkeling exploits. Brad Bertelli takes the guesswork out of navigating and exploring the Florida Reef. He provides practical travel advice and GPS coordinates to easily access each site, as well as useful information such as water depth, marine environment, notable shipwrecks, and engrossing historical facts. Snorkeling the Florida Keys is more than a valuable guide for divers seeking adventure. It is also a great read for armchair travelers, who, without setting a fin in the water, can enjoy the conquests and mishaps of the historical figures who sailed the great Florida Reef. Brad Bertelli , a freelance writer living in the Florida Keys, is the author of Snorkeling Florida: 50 Excellent Sites . Review: Terrific history & guide to reefs in the Keys - This book is more than your typical guidebook, "go here, go there." It contains a lot of obviously well researched history about the wrecks that you can explore off the Florida Keys. All kinds of ships have gone down on these reefs, from galleons to naval ships, which makes for amazing dive sites, as Mr. Bertelli describes in very good detail. His style is enjoyable and the history, far from being dry or boring, feels very entertaining! I can't wait to go explore more of the Florida Keys and its underwater treasures. I also liked the photographs, both black and white and color. They add a lot, and give you a good idea of what you can see snorkeling. It's refreshing to see a book geared towards snorkelers like me. I've never gotten the hang of Scuba, so I'm glad to know a lot of places I can snorkel. (But maybe scuba divers could get some use from this book, too.) I was considering buying this book and saw a review on a blogger website, saying the book had no pictures! Um, that's wrong. There are plenty of pictures. Maybe that reviewer didn't really read the ACTUAL book, just a preview or something. Anyway, I'm glad I didn't pay attention to that review and got a copy and judged this guidebook for myself. I can see people taking the book on vacation, and reading a chapter on the beach with a nice cocktail, then the next day heading out on a snorkel charter and seeing for themselves. It's kind of a 2-in-1, guidebook-plus-history. Best for: People who think knowing the history of a place makes it that much more fascinating! I had no idea there were so many characters and adventure tales out of the Keys. I've always loved the Florida Keys, and this book just made me want to return even more. The writer really knows what he's talking about. Awesome!! Review: Not a good snorkeling guide - If you want a history of the Florida Keys, this is the book for you - I'd give it 5 stars on the history content. As far as a snorkeling and diving guide, it falls short. As others have mentioned, NO MAPS - unbelievable. Also the amount of text devoted to describing the snorkeling/diving sites is perhaps 10% at best. This book is NOT a snorkeling guide. Unfortunately, I am not aware of an up-to-date alternative. I also have the lonely planet guide "Diving & snorkeling florida keys" published in 2006 by author Bill Harrigan (who is a Marine Biologist). This book is MUCH MUCH better with color maps and detailed descriptions. I would recommend this book over the Bertelli book realizing it is outdated. The snorkeling sites don't change much over the years, but the support information probably does. In any case, don't waste your money on the Bertelli guide unless you want the history. Instead get the Harrigan guide which is available as a used book. (Note to Bill Harrigan: Please update your guide, it is excellent.)