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John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

www.floridastateparks.org
4.5/5
(14.9K) · State park in Key Largo, United States
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Renowned for being the country’s first undersea park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park encompasses an impressive 70 nautical square miles. …

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4.5/5 · 14,896 reviews
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Feb 10, 2025
Great experience! The crew was very helpful and made us feel safe and comfortable. Saw a great variety of fish and sea life.Full review by Oltime1
Feb 10, 2025
Lovely park with good facilities and beach. Very peaceful. We went kayaking which was great. The waterbased activities were well organised.Full review by CAROLYN G
Feb 10, 2025
We went by Boat and stayed on a mooring ball. Staff are friendly and helpful. Took the snorkel boat to Grecian Rocks. Lots to see. Adam, our snorkel Captain was great.Full review by Daniel F
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The first undersea park in the U.S., John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park encompasses approximately 70 nautical squa…
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Questions & answers

Q:
How fast does the catamaran go?
A:
Itcwas not a catamaran, it was a pontoon boot. For older folks or less athletic folks, there were no wide stairs to use to get in an out of the water. There were two very thin and steep …
A:
Itcwas not a catamaran, it was a pontoon boot. For older folks or less athletic folks, there were no wide stairs to use to get in an out of the water. There were two very thin and steep ladders which were difficult to cimb up.
A:
Answer by HELEN W · Nov 25, 2024
Q:
can you fish there
A:
I’m an avid fisherman from NY and visited the park last week for the first time in 30 years. Back then it was vibrant and full of life below the surface with schools of giant yellow fin tuna 30’ …
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I’m an avid fisherman from NY and visited the park last week for the first time in 30 years. Back then it was vibrant and full of life below the surface with schools of giant yellow fin tuna 30’ down, 3’ barracuda were a common site as well as schools of many larger fish…1000’s in total were seen in just an hour both in the park and from the reef snorkeling trips back then. Now it’s an entirely different story! The reefs are 90% dead or dying and the number of larger fish are minimal at best. I saw more fish in the bay at our hotel in 30 minutes snorkeling than I seen in 4 hours in the water at the park. That’s 3 hours on the reefs (3 different locations) and an hour at the park beaches. This saddens me so much it teared me up then and now as I read why and how the reefs are dying. To answer your question when I first got to the park last week I tried fishing after talking to a few of the locals. They suggested the spot and even gave me some of their frozen shrimp….wonderful folks!! After a few minutes I realized that something wasn’t right and 15 minutes later I put on my snorkeling gear and went to see where the fish were hiding. There was absolutely no catch and eat size fish to be found in the park after looking for an hour. Mostly very small baitfish and tiny immature fish the kind that you would possibly use as bait ocean fishing. I can’t imagine how the State of Florida allowed and continues to allow the death of their beautiful underwater ecosystem by exploiting it…ironically killing there golden goose. They claim to have “protected reefs” and yet hover over them with boats burning 100’s of gallons of diesel fuel daily and allowing 100’s to snorkel on these “protected reefs”. I have a completely different idea of protecting something and they should as well. Another local visitor told me “it’s all about the money”. If you are planning on going there be prepared for a disappointment at the very least. After being asked to post a review on here I found many others have expressed their sadness and concerns as well. If you take a few moments to read the negative reviews you will constantly find a response from the parks staff saying “I’m puzzled by your negative review” one after another. I’m puzzled how a person in the position of protecting this beautiful gem can be so corrupt to actually make false statements in the hope of making further profit. If you are planning on visiting the Keys you should do it soon. There are volumes of information online that say the reefs will be gone in the next 10 to 20 years. Once the reefs die the ocean begins to die and once the ocean dies it’s going to effect everything and everyone on land. I’m truly sorry to have to write this and for caring folks like yourself to have to read this but it’s the simple truth. The reefs have been there for 1000’s of years and we are about to kill them…I think it’s called extinction…
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Q:
Is there good snorkeling off the beach?
A:
At Cannon Beach there some "shipwreck" pieces that have been placed that are interesting to view but the best snorkeling is going to be from a boat tour.
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Frequently asked questions

Q:
Can I arrange to have my wedding, business meeting or family reunion at a state park in Florida?
A:
Special events are permitted at Florida State Parks.
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