Dolphins

The warm waters of Key West are home to a plentitude of dolphins. The Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are the most common dolphins found here. The curious and social dolphins typically travel in groups, so if you spot one, chances are you’ll find more where it came from. There’s a popular area locally known as the Dolphin Playground where divers would surely love to swim. It’s a great spot to observe dolphins as they’re searching for food and interacting with one another.

Marine Life

Key West has a unique ecosystem that supports a diversity of species of animals. Barracudas, damselfish, parrotfish, snappers, groupers, hogfish, manatees, Maine lobsters, stingrays, loggerhead sea turtles, nurse and reef sharks are just a small part of the wildlife inhabiting these waters. The coral reef off the shores is also home to photogenic coral reef fish fauna of various colors and patterns.

Shipwrecks

The waters of Key West are also the resting place for many historical shipwrecks. The most popular wreck is the USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, sunk as artificial reef (the second-largest in the world) in 2009. Other well-known wrecks have all sunk in 1942, and they include the Edward Luckenbach freighter, the Sturtevant destroyer, the Gunvor freighter, and the Bosiljka freighter.