If you want a break from the winter cold, a visit to the Sunshine State may be just what the doctor ordered. Its glorious tropical weather even in the cooler months means that you can enjoy the beaches and sunshine all year round. However, if the thought of sunbathing all day does not appeal to you, you may want to try something more adventurous. One of the best things to do for an active traveler is to go and explore the many Florida Keys shipwrecks.
The Florida Keys lie just off the southern tip of the state, curving in a line towards the west. These islands are surrounded by coral reefs and shoals, making them the perfect destination if you love water sports like fishing, diving and snorkeling. In addition, they're easy to reach. You can even drive there from the mainland, taking the network of bridges, known as the Overseas Highway, that connects the keys to one another.
To the south of the islands lies one of the busiest shipping routes in the Caribbean. However, the reefs as well as the hurricanes that frequently hit the region make these waters very dangerous for ships. This means that there's an abundance of wrecks to explore. In the past, the practice of wrecking was in fact an important source of income for the islands' inhabitants, especially in Key West.
Among the earliest wrecks in the area date from the Seventeenth and early Eighteenth Centuries. The ships belonged to the Spanish Silver Fleet, which transported good like silver and gold, silk, pearls, tobacco and exotic foods from the New World to Spain. Many of these ships were lost in the waters around the islands, among them the famous Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sank near the Dry Tortugas in 1622.
The British were also active in the Caribbean, especially with the Atlantic Slave Trade. One of their ships, the Henrietta Marie, was a slave ship that dropped off her cargo of captured Africans in Jamaica, where they were to be sold as slaves, in 1700. On her voyage back to Britain, she ran aground near the Keys. The items salvaged from the wreck have given historians much insight into how slave ships operated. At the wreck site you'll now find an underwater monument, facing east towards Africa, in memory of the thousands of victims of slavery.
The Caribbean has seen many conflicts throughout the centuries and you'll find some of the casualties in the form of sunken ships. Not all were sunk by the enemy, though. The USS Sturtevant sank because her crew had never been told about the US-laid minefield that she then ran into. Criminals have always operated in these waters too, as evidenced by wrecks like that of boats like the so-called Cannabis Cruiser.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has established a heritage trail of some of the notable wrecks in the area. Most of these sites are suitable for snorkeling but scuba diving will allow you a close-up view. There are many dive centers in the islands where you can learn how to dive.
You can explore the Florida Keys shipwrecks any time of the year. However, late spring and late fall are the best times to go. Water conditions are then at their best and you avoid the hurricane season and the holiday crowds.
The Florida Keys lie just off the southern tip of the state, curving in a line towards the west. These islands are surrounded by coral reefs and shoals, making them the perfect destination if you love water sports like fishing, diving and snorkeling. In addition, they're easy to reach. You can even drive there from the mainland, taking the network of bridges, known as the Overseas Highway, that connects the keys to one another.
To the south of the islands lies one of the busiest shipping routes in the Caribbean. However, the reefs as well as the hurricanes that frequently hit the region make these waters very dangerous for ships. This means that there's an abundance of wrecks to explore. In the past, the practice of wrecking was in fact an important source of income for the islands' inhabitants, especially in Key West.
Among the earliest wrecks in the area date from the Seventeenth and early Eighteenth Centuries. The ships belonged to the Spanish Silver Fleet, which transported good like silver and gold, silk, pearls, tobacco and exotic foods from the New World to Spain. Many of these ships were lost in the waters around the islands, among them the famous Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sank near the Dry Tortugas in 1622.
The British were also active in the Caribbean, especially with the Atlantic Slave Trade. One of their ships, the Henrietta Marie, was a slave ship that dropped off her cargo of captured Africans in Jamaica, where they were to be sold as slaves, in 1700. On her voyage back to Britain, she ran aground near the Keys. The items salvaged from the wreck have given historians much insight into how slave ships operated. At the wreck site you'll now find an underwater monument, facing east towards Africa, in memory of the thousands of victims of slavery.
The Caribbean has seen many conflicts throughout the centuries and you'll find some of the casualties in the form of sunken ships. Not all were sunk by the enemy, though. The USS Sturtevant sank because her crew had never been told about the US-laid minefield that she then ran into. Criminals have always operated in these waters too, as evidenced by wrecks like that of boats like the so-called Cannabis Cruiser.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has established a heritage trail of some of the notable wrecks in the area. Most of these sites are suitable for snorkeling but scuba diving will allow you a close-up view. There are many dive centers in the islands where you can learn how to dive.
You can explore the Florida Keys shipwrecks any time of the year. However, late spring and late fall are the best times to go. Water conditions are then at their best and you avoid the hurricane season and the holiday crowds.
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