The 8 1⁄2-foot-tall (2.6 m) statue of Jesus Christ weighs 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) and stands in nearly 25 feet (7.6 m) of water. One of the most famous sites at Pennekamp is the Christ of the Abyss, located near North Dry Rocks. Other activities available in the park are canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, swimming and wildlife viewing. The reefs may be viewed from glass-bottom boats, snorkeling, and scuba diving. He had been active in establishing Everglades National Park, had been the first chairman of the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials, and had been a consultant with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.įlorida Governor Leroy Collins later changed the name of the park to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, in recognition of his efforts to save marine life. Pennekamp had strong credentials for the fight. Pennekamp, an editor with the Miami Herald, teamed up to lead a fight to protect the reefs from further damage. Voss of the Marine Institute of Miami and John D. Seashells, corals, sponges, sea horses, and other marine life were being hammered, chiseled, and even dynamited from the reefs to provide souvenirs for tourists.ĭr. In the late 1950s, citizens were growing concerned of the damage occurring to the reefs along the Florida Keys. Pennekamp is the most popular in the Florida State Parks system, with more than a million annual visitors. The primary attractions of the park are the coral reefs (such as Molasses Reef) and their associated marine life. The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is primarily offshore, stretches three miles into the Atlantic Ocean, and is 25 miles long. Key Largo also features the first undersea park in the United States, established in 1963, located at Mile Marker 102. With the exception of surfing, the flat waters surrounding Key Largo are perfect for just about any above-water activity: sailing, boating, Jet Skiing, and fishing. Six miles offshore in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is the Spiegel Grove shipwreck, a 510-foot former US Navy ship intentionally scuttled in 2002. To the east is the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, and earning recognition as the Diving Capital of the World. Much of the island is completely natural, including Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Key Largo Hammock State Botanical Site, and mangroves everywhere.įlanked by the Everglades National Park to the west, Key Largo is a premier destination for kayakers, birders and other eco-tourists. Tourists consist of nature-lovers, watersports enthusiasts, and scuba divers. These are combined with businesses focused on tourism featuring an abundance of resorts, restaurants, bars, and marine attractions. Key Largo is the largest city of the Upper Keys, with stores for every day living to serve its 10,000 year-round residents. The century-old steam-powered vessel from another of his epic films, “The African Queen,” is still available for canal and dinner cruises. A local bar, the Caribbean Club, provided the locale for some of the movie’s scenes.īogie’s presence is visible even today in Key Largo.

Once known as Rock Harbor, it was renamed Key Largo after the popular 1948 movie classic, starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Edward Robinson. We begin our 100 mile adventure in Key Largo, the first island off mainland Florida, connected by one primary route - US Highway 1 and one bridge - Jewfish Creek Bridge.Īt 33 miles, it is the longest in the chain of islands leading to Key West. Ahhh, the Florida Keys, where life is a breeze.

Key largo movie scenes carribean club