Florida Keys - Music Festival

The quirky underwater concert takes place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary approximately six miles south of Big Pine Key. Each year, the subsea songfest draws as many as 600 divers and snorkelers to explore the colorful diversity of marine life that characterizes continental America’s only living coral barrier reef. Set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the marine musical event is staged by Keys radio station US 1 Radio 104.1 FM. The music is broadcast underwater via Lubell Laboratory speakers suspended beneath boats positioned at the reef.The concert’s playlist typically ranges from humpback whale recordings to sea songs such as the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and the theme from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.

While many participating “afishionados” are drawn by the undersea fun, the concert also promotes the serious cause of preserving the Florida Keys’ unique coral reef ecosystem. The musical broadcast incorporates diver awareness announcements, prepared by Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary officials, offering tips on how people can enjoy the ocean while minimizing their impact on the reef and marine environment.

Divers and snorkelers eager to immerse themselves in the 2010 Underwater Music Festival can reserve space aboard boats run by Lower Keys dive operators, or launch their own boats from public ramps and marinas throughout the area.

For information about dive charters and accommodations in the Lower Florida Keys, call the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce at 800-872-3722 or 305-872-2411, or visit www.fla-keys.com or www.lowerkeyschamber.com.

Brought to you by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.