Just 90 minutes south of Miami, the Florida Keys are a hidden treasure trove of amazing animal adventures just waiting to be explored. The Keys are easier to get to than you might imagine. Simply follow US 1 and you will enter the gateway to paradise, beginning at mile marker (MM) 118 in Key Largo and winding down to mile marker 0, in Key West.
Homestead
While not technically in The Keys, you can’t take a trip to The Keys without stopping in The Everglades. The Everglades are only 11 miles from Route 1 in Homestead, Florida, and well worth the detour before you head down the Keys. The Everglades are teaming with wildlife, from numerous types of fish, turtles and birds to the amazing and awe inspiring American alligator. Make a point to visit Royal Palm and walk the Anhinga Trail, where alligators can be found sunning themselves along this trail, in astonishingly large numbers. Most of the wildlife will be seen on the Anhinga Trail, however the nearby Gumbo Limbo trail is a peaceful walk as well as an opportunity enjoy the different tropical trees that only live in this part of the country.
Cost: $25/vehicle entrance fee.
John Pennekamp State Park glass-bottom boat snorkeling, courtesy of the park
Key Largo
At Mile Marker (MM) 102.5, one of the most popular stops in the Florida Keys is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Here, you can snorkel and swim the tropical waters of the Florida Keys, including a Spanish shipwreck that offshore. Snorkel equipment can be rented at the park for a very small fee. The Environmental Education and Visitor Center, which is free with your park admission, offers visitors a view of the coral reef ecosystem as well as an impressive 30,000-gallon aquarium. The visitor center has different exhibits showcasing the marine habitats within the park. John Pennekamp also has glassbottom boat tours to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Tours are approximately 2.5 hours long and leave three times per day.
Cost: $8.00/vehicle entrance fee. Glassbottom Boat Tours: Ages 4-11 (3 and under are free) – $17.00, Adults – $24.00.
Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center
Tavernier
The Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary located at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center is a permanent home for wild birds too injured to be released back into the wild, and can be found at MM 93.6. This is a wonderful place to get an up-close look at the local bird life of the Florida Keys. There is a self-guided boardwalk tour of the facility that leads down to the ocean, which is beautiful and peaceful place to rest. Wild birds that are not injured also like to flock here.
Cost: Donation requested but not required.
Islamorada
In Islamorada, MM 84.5, find the Theater of the Sea, a marine park that offers dolphin, sea lion and parrot shows. Included in the cost of admission is a bottomless boat ride and a guided tour of the park. There are many lagoons that house multiple species of tropical fish, rays, sharks and turtles. The Theater of the Sea has a multitude of interactive animal programs, including dolphin and sea lion encounters from private swims to playing or painting with them. The Theater of the Sea keeps the numbers in the encounter groups small, to maximize the participant’s experience in order to create a truly memorable event. Other encounters offered are meet, feed and interact with sea turtles, alligators and lorikeets.
Cost: Ages 3-10 (2 and under are free) -$22.95, 11-Adult – $33.95. Animal encounter prices vary by program.
Marathon
The Dolphin Research Center, located at MM 59, is not only a research facility but a rehabilitation center for injured marine animals. Families can enjoy watching the dolphins during their training sessions and frolicking on their own. The Dolphin Research Center offers a wide range of dolphin encounters, such as shadowing a trainer all day, participating in research experiments, or becoming a VIP and spend a half a day interacting with both the dolphins and the sea lions. Some of these experiences are quite expensive but the memories will last a lifetime. Smaller, less expensive encounters that feature interaction with the dolphins are also offered.
Also found on Marathon Key, MM 53.1, is the Florida Keys Aquarium, which includes animal encounters. This is an incredible aquarium with a variety of different species of fish, sharks, turtles and rays with multiple viewing areas to give visitors the maximum exposure. A large lagoon highlighting various kinds of local fish, including giant tarpon, offer visitors a chance to purchase food to feed to them. A tide pool touch tank allows guests to touch and feel starfish, sea cucumbers, queen conch, and horseshoe crabs among other marine life. There is a sting ray tank that visitors can touch the rays as well as purchase food to feed them. There are also additional animal encounters that visitors can make reservations for including snorkeling or diving in the giant coral reef tank (and hand feeding the sharks in the predator tank through a special port), as well as a nurse shark encounter and a sting ray encounter.
Visitors to The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, MM 48.5, can make reservations for a 90-minute tour which includes an educational presentation followed by an intimate look at the facility and a visit with all the resident turtles. Just try to stop your family from falling in love with these adorable creatures. The tour is incredibly informative and covers not only what each of us can do in our everyday lives to assist in sea turtle conservation but what to do if you should encounter a sea turtle in distress. This is a great opportunity to teach young children about conservation and the environment.
Costs:
- The Dolphin Research Center: General admission: Ages 4-12 (3 and under are free)- $23.00, Adults (13 and up) – $28.00, Military or Veterans (with ID) – $25.00. There is also a discount available if you purchase tickets online. Fee for encounters range from $65-$695.
- The Florida Keys Aquarium: General admission: Ages 4-12 (3 and under are free)- $15.00, Adults (13 and up) – $20.00. Animal encounter prices vary by program.
- The Turtle Hospital: Ages 4-12 (3 and under are free)- $11.00, Adults (13 and up) – $22.00.
Big Pine Key
The key deer are an endangered species of miniature white tail deer that are only found in the Florida Keys, and you can find them at the National Key Deer Refuge, at MM 30.5. The key deer are not the only endangered species that call the refuge home. In fact, there are 23 plant and animal species protected within the refuge that are either endangered or threatened. Although the key deer may approach you looking for food, it is illegal to feed them. The refuge has numerous hiking trails to explore. However, be aware your surroundings and your children. There are alligators and diamondback rattlesnakes within the refuge that visitor might possibly encounter.
Cost: Free
Key West
Once you reach the end of the road, MM 0, find the Key West Aquarium, one of the oldest aquariums in the United States, having opened in 1934. This aquarium has a large collection of tropical fish, sharks, turtles, rays and other marine life. A hands-on sting ray exhibit allows guests to feed the rays and enjoy a fun interaction with these social creatures. There are several nurse shark feedings daily, and visitors are allowed feed the sharks. A touch tank allows guests to touch starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, conchs, hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs. Guided tours are offered several times per day, and are included with the price of admission.
Cost: Ages 4-12 (3 and under are free)- $9.66, Adults (13 and up) – $16.11, Seniors – $13.96.
By Kimberly Crawford