Key West · United States · Reef

Eye of the Needle

Swim through needle-shaped coral heads on a spur-and-groove outer reef

Area photo: Juliancolton · Public domain

Eye of the Needle is an outer-reef site off Key West in 25 to 45 ft (8 to 14 m), named for the coral heads shaped like sewing needles that you can swim through. It is deeper spur-and-groove coral in the manner of The Aquarium, with enormous sponges and plenty of fish, and there are no mooring balls, so the boat drops you and picks you up.

Where it is and how deep

Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

24.5614° N, 81.8032° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

With no mooring balls to tie into, the boat positions over the reef and you drop onto spur-and-groove coral formations that run deeper than the inshore reefs, from 25 to 45 ft (8 to 14 m). The formations are of the same kind as at The Aquarium, so if you have dived that site you will know the pattern: coral spurs separated by sand grooves, with the swim-throughs and overhangs on the spurs. Set a course along the spurs and let the grooves keep you oriented.

The site's name comes from its coral heads shaped like sewing needles, which are big enough to swim through; the swim-through on the east end of the reef is the one to find, and it holds many fish. Enormous sponges are the other feature, as at The Cable, and the reef as a whole is thick with marine life. Ascend from the shallow end of the spurs, send up a marker if the group has spread out, and let the boat come to you.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Eye of the Needle
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.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Eye of the Needle?+

The site lies in 25 to 45 ft (8 to 14 m) on the outer reef off Key West, within Open Water depth limits, and the operator describes it as a good tandem dive paired with another site.