Florida Keys · United States · Reef
Grecian Rocks
A reef crest that breaks the surface at low tide
Area photo: NOAA (Maya Walton) · Public domain
A protected reef off Key Largo that dives as two sides of one structure: a sheltered inside shallow at about fifteen feet, where the body of the reef breaks the wave action, and an outside diving side with a maximum depth of about thirty feet. Shallow enough throughout that snorkellers and divers can share the same boat.
Where it is and how deep
25.1104° N, 80.3036° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Plan it as two halves of one structure. The outside is where divers work: that face carries the depth, dropping to a maximum of about thirty feet (9.1 m) at the sand. The inside is where the reef breaks the swell for you, only about fifteen feet (4.6 m) deep, and it is the side crews put snorkellers on. Work the outside first while the group is fresh, then come back over the crest to finish shallow.
The crest is shallow enough that at low tide the top of it stands above the water's surface, which is how the reef got its name and which gives the boat and the group an obvious visual reference. Grecian Rocks is listed among the individual reefs that make up the Florida Reef, the tract running the length of the Keys, and it is a protected area within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, so nothing is touched, stood on or taken.
With nothing on the site past about 9 m, the dive is limited by gas rather than by depth, and a mixed group can split between snorkel and scuba and stay within sight of each other. That also makes it a reasonable place for a first ocean dive, provided the crest is given a wide berth: at low water there is very little between the top of the coral and the surface.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Florida Keys: Winter cold fronts (December-February) bring choppier seas and cooler water; April-August offers the calmest conditions, though hurricane season runs June-November.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Grecian Rocks?+
The max depth is 30 feet (9.1 m) on the diving side of the reef, and the sheltered inside is only about 15 feet (4.6 m), which is why snorkellers use that side.
Can you snorkel Grecian Rocks?+
Yes. The inside of the reef is about 5 m (15 ft) deep and the reef itself protects it from wave action, so snorkellers work that side while divers take the outside face down to about 9 m (30 ft).
Sources
- Grecian Rocks — Scubago
- Florida Reef — Wikipedia
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