Key Largo: Private Snorkeling Tour & Sandbar Trip for Groups

5.00

(145 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You see that patch of blue? That’s where the turtles like to nap,” Captain Stewy said, squinting into the sun as we pulled away from the dock in Key Largo. I didn’t expect him to sound so laid-back—like he’d been doing this forever but still found it fun. The boat was just us and my sister’s playlist on the Bluetooth speakers (she picked 90s pop, which felt weirdly right). There was this salty breeze and a cooler packed with ice-cold water—nothing fancy, but it hit different after the drive down from Miami.

We slid into John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park after about twenty minutes—water so clear you could count the ripples on the sand below. Our snorkeling guide, Maria, handed out masks and made sure mine fit (I always get nervous about leaks). She promised she’d be in the water with us, which honestly helped me chill out. I remember dunking my head under for the first time and hearing nothing but my own breath and these distant clicks—fish nibbling at coral maybe? We floated over bright corals and I spotted a parrotfish munching away; Maria pointed out a shy nurse shark hiding under a ledge. My brother tried to say “Christ of the Abyss” in Spanish and Maria just grinned—he butchered it, but she said locals call it “El Cristo” anyway.

After snorkeling two different reefs (I lost track of time out there), we headed for the sandbar. The sun was out full force by then, everyone’s hair stuck up from saltwater and sunscreen. We waded around in knee-deep water while Stewy told stories about growing up here—something about dolphins chasing mullet near sunset. I kept thinking how quiet it felt compared to those big party boats you see around; just our little group, toes digging into soft sand, no rush at all. I still think about that calm sometimes when I’m stuck in traffic back home.