Beneath the silvered surface of Marathon's waters lies the marine equivalent of the tropical rainforests. The coral reef. Life abounds in great variety, its diversity easily accessible. Dedicated SCUBA divers and casual snorkelers alike may share the wonders of Sombrero Reef.
About four miles offshore, a 30 minute boat ride from Marathon, the antique Sombrero Reef Light tower straddles dramative formations. The coral structure - themselves alive - form a platform for a rich community of vertebrates and invertebrate sharing their life cycles in this submarine habitat. Parrot fish and angelfish bend and twist with the gentle surge currents, while clouds of sergeant majors, yellowtail, jacks - and a hundred other species - cast shadows on the reef as they school above. Lobster and crab skulk in the crannies in the reef, blending with the colors of the corals and sponges. A "spur and groove" reef system, Sombrero's 25 foot depths hold towering coral finger, the "spurs." The "grooves" - parallel channels of reef in the four foot shallows - harbor slashing rainbows of fish for the snorkeler.
Marathon is one of the most beautiful and safest places to dive with the addition of a new state-of-the-art hyperbaric recompression chamber. Don't be deterred if you've never tried SCUBA diving. Marathon dive shop's quick and safe resort courses will have you out among 'em in hours. Advanced to open-water certification, rescue diving, or become a full-fledged instructor! Dive and snorkel tours are available to serve both novice and expert divers. Many dive shops offer package plans with motels and restaurants. Glass-bottom boats cater to those preferring a less damp encounter with nature.
Rent a underwater camera. Get shots of yourself hovering about a VW sized neon-green brain coral. When you return home, tack the pictures up on the office bulletin board, and prepare to gloat.
Fifty prime dive spots surround Marathon, but only wreck divers may enter the realm of the Research Vessel Thunderbolt. She lies upright, 120 feet below the surface, on the Atlantic side of Marathon. Stripped of doors, hatches and windows, she was sunk in 1986, and now fosters a teeming community of sea life. Follow the marker buoy's anchor line down to her forward deck, and you are free to enter the vessel. Explore the dark hold. Probe the engine room. Swim five floors up to the pilot house and linger at the helm.
Other less purposeful wrecks dot the reef line offshore. Spanish treasure ships, their oaken hulls chewed asunder by the reefs, spewed their booty on the bottom. Many a denizen of Davey Jones' Locker has been salvaged. Only a few miles from downtown Marathon a 10-foot gold chain was pulled from the shifting sands!
Between the reef and Marathon's shores lie spectacular patch reefs too numerous to count. Each patch nurtures its own family of fish, shells, crabs and corals. Should you meet a reclusive lobster, don't take it home to dinner unless it's in season.
In the shallow waters, you encounter the rich beauty of the near shore marine community. These waters, only a few feet deep, have a variety of colorful marine life that is easily accessible to anyone who wades offshore with a mask and snorkel.
Hard bottom areas support sponges, golf-ball corals, many soft corals and provide habitat for lobsters and tropical fish. Sandy bottom areas and grassbeds bare home to shrimp, crabs, small fish and anemone. The grassbeds are also an excellent place to find conch. (Be careful - it is against the law to disturb conch or coral!).
Experience this underwater heartland of the real Florida. Show your pictures of the speckled, sparkling sunset. Admirers will gasp and remark at the expanse of the shining water. Smile knowingly and say, "You should see what's underneath." Local Diving Charters
A1 DIVE CHARTERS / TWO CONCHS Capt. Jack Carlson 10800 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, (MM 52.5) FL 33050 305-743-2400-shop, 305-743-6253-home (any time)
A1 Dive Charters with Two Conchs and Capt. Jack Carlson, out of Discount Divers shop. Custom 25ft. Contender with dive platform, ladder and fresh water shower. 6 person max., rental gear, accommodations and refreshments. Reef * Wreck * Nightdives * Snuba * Snorkel * Island/Eco Tours * and more. Private trips at headboat prices! Spearfishing/loberstering specialists.
CAPT. HOOK'S MARINA and DIVE CENTERS 11833 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, Fl. 33050 (MM 53 at Vaca Cut) 800-278-4665 / fax (305)289-1374
Complete PADI facility, two dive and snorkel trips daily, 40 different dive sites, wreck of the Thunderbolt, night dives, sunset cruises, ten person maximum, dive/motel packages.
SPIRIT CATAMARANS Located MM 47 1/2 at Porky's Restaurant Marathon, FL 33050 phone/ fax (305) 289-0614
Specializing in Snorkel trips to the Marine Sanctuary at Sombrero Resort. Personal attention, families & first timers are our specialty. $24.00 per person including equipment.
