Molasses Reef, Key Largo: snorkeling, diving and what you'll see

Molasses Reef is a coral reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, southeast of Key Largo, just east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. It runs from about 6 to 60 feet deep, so it suits both first-time snorkelers and experienced divers.

Quick facts

Where

Offshore, southeast of Key Largo, Florida

Depth

About 6 to 60 feet

Protection

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; inside a Sanctuary Preservation Area

Access

By boat only; dive and snorkel trips leave from Key Largo

Moorings

Dive sites are marked by mooring buoys; boats tie up instead of anchoring

Depths for snorkeling and diving

• Snorkelers: the shallow north end, about 10 to 15 feet deep, has the coral heads closest to the surface.
• Divers: the middle of the reef runs roughly 15 to 45 feet, and the outer edge drops to around 60 feet.
• Conditions: trips depend on wind and sea state. Build a spare day into your plans.

What you'll see

• Fish: parrotfish, yellowtail snapper and large schools of reef fish.
• Sharks: nurse sharks are the ones you're most likely to see, often resting under coral ledges. They are slow bottom-dwellers. Dive operators also report more Caribbean reef sharks in recent years. Keep your distance and never touch or feed them.
• Others: sea turtles, eagle rays and moray eels.
• History: an old ship's winch and an anchor lie near the middle of the reef. An unmanned light marked the reef for most of the 20th century.

The 1984 Wellwood grounding

On August 4, 1984, the M/V Wellwood, a 122-meter freighter carrying chicken feed, ran aground on Molasses Reef and stayed there for 12 days. It destroyed 5,805 square meters of living coral and damaged 75,000 square meters of reef habitat. NOAA settled a $6.275 million claim with the ship's owner and managers in 1986. It then placed reef modules in the damaged areas and transplanted coral to help the reef recover.

Reef rules and care

• Don't stand on, touch or kick the coral; contact damages the living polyps.
• Wear reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard.
• Take nothing. Preservation Areas don't allow fishing or collecting; ask your operator about the current rules.

For a wider Florida trip, our Florida days off the golf course pairs the reef with Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine.