Key West · United States · Reef
Eastern Dry Rocks
Coral fingers and sand canyons on an SPA reef a mile east of Sand Key light
Photo: SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
Eastern Dry Rocks is a shallow coral reef seven miles southeast of Key West and a mile east of Sand Key light, inside a Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Its summit runs from 1 to 35 ft (0.3 to 11 m) over rubble zones and long fingers of coral split by sand canyons, and snorkellers use it as much as divers. Nurse sharks, stingrays, snook and barracuda are the regulars; permit, tarpon, spotted eagle rays, turtles and goliath grouper the rarer sightings.
Where it is and how deep
24.4603° N, 81.8431° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The boat brings you out to a reef that is popular for both diving and snorkelling, and the two often share the site: the summit lies anywhere from 1 to 35 ft (0.3 to 11 m), so you settle at whatever depth the coral offers and follow it. The reef is rubble zones and long fingers of coral separated by deeper sand and coral canyons, so the natural route is along a finger and back up the next. Brain coral is listed among the common sights, and under and between the coral heads live the smaller listed residents: cleaner shrimp, reef crab, lobster and moray eel, plus Florida horse conch and queen conch on the bottom.
Over the reef the fish are parrotfish, angelfish, sergeant majors and barracuda, with snook, stingray and nurse sharks also listed as common. Rarer sightings recorded here are permit, tarpon, spotted eagle ray, sea turtles and the Atlantic goliath grouper. Eastern Dry Rocks sits within a Sanctuary Preservation Area that the 2025 Restoration Blueprint rule left unchanged, and being quite close to Sand Key and Rock Key it is usually one stop of a multi-reef trip, so the dive ends with a shallow ascent to the boat and a short run to the next mooring.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
- Eagle rays
- Sea turtles
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
Season follows Key West: Boats dive all year; May to October brings the warmest water and best visibility, but August to October is hurricane season.
Photos from Eastern Dry Rocks
SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
Questions divers ask
Can you see sharks at Eastern Dry Rocks?+
Nurse sharks are listed among the common species on the reef, alongside snook, stingray, moray eel and barracuda; spotted eagle rays and turtles are recorded as rarer sightings.
How deep is Eastern Dry Rocks?+
The summit depth runs from 1 to 35 ft (0.3 to 11 m), which is why the reef is used by snorkellers as well as divers.
Sources
- Eastern Dry Rocks — Wikipedia
- Eastern Dry Rocks — Scubago
Photo credits
- A queen angelfish beside sponges and coral at Eastern Dry Rocks by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
- A pale-colored reef fish swimming over coral at Eastern Dry Rocks by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
- A reddish reef fish swimming close to coral rubble at Eastern Dry Rocks by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
- Two dark parrotfish swimming together over the reef at Eastern Dry Rocks by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
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