Jewfish or Goliath Grouper on Stargazer
Stargazer Reef is not a reef – it’s an underwater sculpture that looks like a series of metal saw horses. A thin layer of coral has grown to cover the table tops and legs, so there is a small neighborhood of fish living there. You can always bet on finding mangrove snappers, angel fish, and one huge resident Goliath Grouper, A.K.A jewfish. The jewfish really stands out, since Stargazer Reef is located on a desert of sand. The poor thing tries to hide under the “tables” but you can always spot him a million miles away!
Eastern Dry Rocks is loved by everyone, from snorkelers to riders on the Glass Bottom Boat. This is practically the only remaining spot in Key West where you can see Elkhorn Coral. Parrot fish are everywhere on Eastern Dry Rocks, and at times you can see schools of tarpon here. It’s truly a beautiful Key West snorkeling spot, and it’s also about six miles out, in line with Rock Key and Sand Key.
Here you can see the one small colony of Elkhorn Coral, which sadly has some rope tangled on it. The Glass Bottom Boat likes to take its passengers out to see it, so it gets a lot of attention. There are colorful parrot fish in this area, as well as barracuda, grouper, snapper, lobster, jacks, and lots of other marine life.
Rock Key is a Key West snorkeling spot on the main reef, and popular with the boats that go out every day. The rocks jut right out of the water at this location, and on windier days they break the waves and make snorkeling more pleasant. Rock Key is right next to Sand Key, which is about six miles from shore. The ride takes anywhere between twenty and forty five minutes, depending on your vessel and the weather.
At Rock Key, snorkelers will encounter parrot fish, barracuda, angel fish, snapper, lazy nurse sharks, chubs, butterfly fish, lots of tiny colorful species of wrasses, gobies, file fish, puffer fish, and more. You might also see rays, eels, sea turtles, and other creatures of the marine world who exist on and near the main reef system.
