If you’re planning a vacation to Key West, Florida, one of the activities you should have on your list is scuba diving. The ocean waters around Florida provide some of the most beautiful underwater scenery in the United States. Key West is home to the only living coral reef in the country, which is one of the largest reef systems in the entire world. As such, be assured that you will have plenty to explore from shipwrecks to underwater animal and plant life, even if you’re new to scuba diving.

Because Key West (and Florida in general) is such a popular destination for scuba diving, there are a number of resorts you can choose from. Each provides a different experience, so if you’re looking for something in particular, it’s best to plan where to go before actually going. Read on for some idea of where to go for scuba diving while in Key West.

The Sand Key Lighthouse Reef stretches around the all-iron Sand Key Lighthouse. The ten-mile stretch of reef is protected, so if you’ll be exploring here, make sure you be extra careful. Depths in this location range from 40 to 60 feet, assuring great views of the reef and sea and plant life.

With a fairly shallow depth of ten to 25 feet, Nine Foot Stake is one of the most popular places for scuba divers and snorkelers. Colorful sea life is abundant in this location.

The Cayman Scavenger Master was originally used as a minelayer ship by the United States Army, but in 1963, it became a research ship. It sunk a short time later, was resurfaced for transport in 1985, but sunk again as it was being moved. To dive here, you’ll need an advanced diving certification or a guide, but you’ll see a wide variety of sea life, including giant grouper and green moray eels.

If you’re up to heading thirty miles away from Key West, you can dive at Looe Key Reef Marine Sanctuary. This location offers a wide variety of aquatic life, including sea turtles and sting rays.