Key Largo: John Pennekamp State Park & Coral Reefs

The undisputed icon of John Pennekamp State Park is Christ of the Abyss, an 8.5-foot bronze statue of Jesus Christ with arms raised toward the ocean surface. Cast from a mold by Italian sculptor Guido Galletti, the statue was donated to the Underwater Society of America by industrialist Egidio Cressi in 1961 and lowered into 25 feet of water at Key Largo Dry Rocks in August 1965.

Resting in a natural sand canyon framed by towering brain and fire corals, the statue's fingertips rise to within 8 to 10 feet of the surface. On calm, sunny days with 50+ feet of visibility, snorkelers floating on the surface can clearly see the bronze features, while free-divers can descend down to photograph the monument up close. Yellowtail snapper, blue tangs, and barracuda regularly circle the statue.

For visitors who prefer not to snorkel, Pennekamp Park operates the Spirit of Pennekamp, a high-speed 65-foot catamaran equipped with giant panoramic bottom viewing windows. The tour heads out to Molasses Reef, widely considered one of the healthiest and most vibrant barrier reef systems in North America.

Through the crystal-clear glass panels, passengers watch massive spur-and-groove star corals, towering purple sea fans, green moray eels, nurse sharks, and sea turtles glide beneath the hull, while an onboard marine naturalist provides live educational commentary.

Inside the park boundaries, Cannon Beach offers a calm swimming cove featuring the submerged remnants of an authentic early 18th-century Spanish shipwreck, with replica cannons placed in shallow water just 100 feet from shore.

The park's marina also rents sit-on-top kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. A marked 2.5-mile water trail winds through dense red mangrove channels where tree crabs scurry across arching prop roots and upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea) carpet the quiet sandy shallows.