Key West Diary 14

One of the few remaining "touristy" things we wanted to check off our list was a trip on the glass bottom boat that runs from downtown Key West out to the coral reef that lies about five miles south of the keys.

This is a large boat capable of carrying up to sixty people, with viewing areas on both sides of the boat. Since it took about thirty five minutes to reach the reef, most people stayed topside until we arrived at the reef.

The coral reef that lies five miles south of the Keys is the third largest living coral reef in the world, extending some 238 miles from Miami to the Dry Tortugas. Two larger reefs are the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and a reef off the coast of Belize.

Once on top of the reef, the guide explained the different types of coral and the many different types of fish that inhabit the reef. Most of the time we were only 8 to 10 feet above the reef.

Our very knowledgeable guide for the day is pictured below. Even though this was a relatively calm day there were several people that became seasick.

Since we didn't dive on the reef, and because no one is ever allowed to remove any living animals or fish from it, I bought my Conch Shell from a local store. 

Since the Conch Shell is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of Key West it will be our memento from the Keys.