Dangers of Snorkeling in the Keys
Snorkeling in the Florida Keys can be an exciting adventure. The sights, colors and the abundance of sea life can be a one-of-a-kind experience. But it isn’t a venture to be taken lightly. The coral reef system is a living and wild environment, and some of the things there can be dangerous no matter how beautiful or harmless they may appear.
The most common injury suffered while snorkeling in the Florida Keys is caused by fire coral cuts or stings. Fire coral isn’t a true coral, and it can be found and accidentally touched almost everywhere. Fire coral has a bright yellow skeletal covering sharp enough to cause small cuts and is often mistaken for seaweed, but its more closely related to jellyfish and other stinging anemones. An accidental brush with one can cause what is described as a mild stinging and sometimes burning sensation that can develop into a rash.
Jellyfish can also pose a threat to snorkelers in the Keys. All jellyfish sting, although most of the common varieties such as the abundant purple- or blue-colored moon jellyfish’s sting can barely be felt by all but sensitive snorkelers. Only two varieties of jellyfish found in the Keys are dangerous: the box jellyfish and the Portuguese man-of-war. While the box jellyfish can cause a painful sting, an encounter with a Portuguese man-of-war can prove to be fatal if a snorkeler is stung enough times. The Portuguese man-of-war is easy to identify; it has an inflatable float -- like a small balloon with a transparent sail -- that floats on the surface with purple tentacles that trail as far as 10 feet below it.
Other creatures to be wary of include long-spined sea urchins, scorpion fish and morey eel. Although not as prevalent as they once were, the long-spined sea urchin are easy to miss on the bottom, but their needle-sharp spines can easily penetrate a wet suit. Likewise, the scorpion fish lie motionless in the sand or against the rocks making them hard to see, yet their dorsal fins contain poisonous spines that can create painful wounds. The morey eel has rows of sharp, inverted teeth in sharp jaws. They can be found in caves and crevasses throughout the reef. They are not aggressive creatures, though, and will only bite if surprised or threatened.
While sharks are plentiful among the reefs in the Keys, shark attacks are rare. One of the most plentiful sharks is the Caribbean reef shark. While reef sharks are important to the ecology of the reef system, they aren't dangerous to humans. For the most part, the reef shark will only attack if it feels cornered, and then it will usually rake its victim, causing lacerations. A more dangerous species occasionally seen in the Keys is the bull shark. These small predators prefer warm shallow water and are known to be aggressive. They occasionally will attack larger prey, but attacks are rare. As with other predators in the deep, don’t tease them, feed them or try and handle them. Keep them in sight, but give them a wide berth.
It's important to know the prevailing ocean conditions before going into the water. Water temperatures can vary as much as 15 degrees from summer to winter meaning that a wetsuit might be a necessary piece of equipment even while snorkeling. Because wind conditions affect wave surges and sizes, wind speed and direction can add or reduce risk when snorkeling from a boat. While information on these concerns are easily obtained from the national weather service, other conditions that can affect the safety of a dive are not as easy to determine. The Gulf stream changes unpredictably from day to day, affecting both ocean currents and visibility, which can increase the risk of chance encounters with fire coral, jellyfish and other denizens of the deep. Commercial dive boat captains share information to determine the safest and clearest waters available.
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images