FLORIDA KEYS PADDLING Canoeing & Kayaking At John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Key Largo In The Upper Florida Keys, Page 3 of 3
Beautiful
Cannon Beach is a short walk from the Pennekamp Canoe Trail.
Welcome to the John Pennekamp Park
Canoeing & Kayaking pictures and information pages.
Thank
you for visiting. This is the Third
of three photo pages that highlight paddling facilities at John
Pennekamp State Park. Click
here if you
would like to start with the first photo page.
JOHN PENNEKAMP PARK VISITOR INFORMATION
The first
undersea park
in the United States, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and the
adjacent Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, cover approximately
178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds and
mangrove swamps. The park extends 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean
and
is approximately 25 miles in length. These areas were established
to
protect and preserve a portion of the only living coral reef in the
continental United States.
The park is named for the late John D. Pennekamp, a Miami
newspaper
editor, whose efforts contributed to the establishment of Everglades
National Park and the preservation of what would become John Pennekamp
Coral Reef State Park.
The park contains a wide variety of tropical vegetation, shore
birds
and marine life. While the mangrove swamps and tropical hammocks
offer
visitors a unique and interesting experience, it is the coral
formations and associated marine life that most park visitors come to
enjoy. The coral reefs at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
are
among the most beautiful and diverse of all living communities.
WHAT IS A CORAL REEF?
Coral reefs are living underwater communities which provide
food,
shelter and breeding areas for many marine plants and animals.
These
reefs occur only in shallow oceans having clear, warm waters. It
has
been estimated that Florida’s coral reefs have taken 5,000 to 7,000
years to develop.
Corals are made up of tiny animals called polyps.
Stony corals, such as star and brain coral, secrete a limestone
skeleton around their bodies. These skeletons remain after death
and
provide the foundation for new polyp growth. The building process
of
stony corals makes up the massive framework of the reef.
Octocorals,
such as sea fans and sea plumes, don’t form hard skeletons.
Instead,
they are flexible and sway gracefully in the ocean current feeding on
plankton. Like the tropical rain forest, the coral reef community
is
extremely diverse. Living among the corals are sponges, shrimps,
crabs,
turtles, lobsters, eels, and nearly 600 species of fish.
Touching or
standing on corals may kill them and is therefore prohibited.
PARK PROGRAMS
Throughout the year, programs are offered to park visitors on a wide
range of natural and cultural history subjects. Guided nature
walks
along the park’s Mangrove and Wild Tamarind trails are offered
seasonally or upon request by individuals and organized groups.
Nature
videos may be viewed in the Visitor Center theater. Ask a Park
Ranger
for current program schedules or check at the Ranger Station
Glass Bottom Boat Tours:
These 2-1/2 hour tours depart 3 times daily and allow you to view the
beautiful coral reefs and its unique and colorful marine life in
air-conditioned comfort.
Snorkel Tours: 1-1/2 hours
water time allows snorkelers to view the colorful living coral
reef. It is unlawful to touch, stand on or collect coral. Beware
of sunburn.
SCUBA Diving: The Dive Shop, a
PADI resort facility, offers 2-tank, 2-location tours to certified
divers. The Park offers a full range of courses at our PADI
Training Facility from Open Water certification through
Divemaster. Specialty courses will introduce you to diving and
our coral reefs in one day.
Power Boating: A boat
ramp is available at the marina (there is a day use fee.) Boaters
should always exercise caution in shallow reef areas and when
approaching any area where there are Diver Down flags, moored boats or
swimmers. Never anchor in coral. Always obtain a navigation
chart before departing for open water. Combustible engines are not
permitted in nearshore areas of the park which are less than four feet
deep.
Boat Slips and Moorings are available for overnight rental.
Slips are located in the marina and include water and electric with
bathroom and shower facilities nearby. Moorings are located in Largo
Sound with dinghy dockage at the marina. Both include full use of the
park facilities, trash disposal, and pump out. Reservations
recommended. Call (305) 451-6322 or VHF Channel 16.
Camping: 47 full-facility
camping sites for both tent and RV campers are available. Rest
rooms and hot showers are easily accessible. Register at park
entrance.
Conoeing/Kayaking:
Explore the park’s mangrove wilderness along 2-1/2 miles of marked
trails. The mangroves, and crystal clear waters which surround them,
provide habitat for a wide variety of birds and marine life.
Rentals at Main Concession.
Concession: Lunch counter,
gifts, and snorkeling equipment for beach area may be obtained at the
concession.
Fishing: Fishing is
permitted in designated areas in accordance with Florida Law.
Saltwater fishing licenses are required. Spearfishing, possession of
spearfishing equipment and collection of tropical fish (by any method)
is prohibited inside the park.
Picnicking: Designated
areas for picnicking are located throughout the park. Barbecue
grills ore provided - no ground fires permitted.
Swimming: Swimming is
popular at Cannon Beach and at two other designated swimming
areas. Cannon Beach features remnants of an early Spanish
shipwreck approximately 100 feet offshore. While swimming or snorkeling
outside a designated swimming area, the Diver Down flag must be
displayed.
Visitor Center and Aquariums:
The Visitor Center features natural history exhibits interpreting the
park’s unique marine environment. There is a 30,000 gallon
saltwater aquarium and a theater where visitors may view nature videos.
Note:
This page contains several high resolution, large size
photographs. As such this
these
pictures may take extra time to download, especially with a dial-up
internet connection. If some pictures are
missing, click your browser's "Refresh" button.
Double click to enlarge any picture.
Mangrove trees make up the scenery
along the John Pennekamp Park Canoe Trail. Mangroves are
sometimes called "walking trees"
because their root structures look like legs.
Paddling the trail through the mangrove
estuary.
Some of the trail's waterways
get pretty tight! Duck down and protect your eyes as you pass under
the mangroves. The trail has enough open water so you can avoid
these tight passages if you prefer.
The water along the trail is very clear. Here you can see
down 4 feet to the sandy bottom of the main Canoe Trail channel.
It's easy to spot fish, rays and
aquatic plant life.
Clear water and bright sunshine allow coral to grow on some mangrove roots!
This picture shows small fan coral growing just under the waterline on
a mangrove root.
Near the end of the Canoe Trail I discovered a neat little
cove. The water was crystal clear and only about a foot
deep. The bottom was lined with
healthy sea grass. It was beautiful!
Pennekamp Park in Key Largo has two white sandy
beaches. This pictures shows Cannon
Beach, which is a short distance from the Canoe Trail.
Swimming is popular at
Cannon Beach and at two other designated swimming areas. Cannon
Beach
features remnants of an early Spanish
shipwreck approximately 100 feet
offshore.
In addition to John Pennekamp Park, there are many magical locations throughout the Keys.
This picture shows a sunset as seen from atop the Bahia Honda Bridge at
Bahia Honda State Park near Seven Mile Bridge. Click
here to see a collection of Florida Keys pictures you can use as screen savers or Windows desktop wallpaper.
PENNEKAMP TOURS, FEES & OPERATING HOURS Click here to find the latest
operating hours, tour schedules and fees for John Pennekamp Park.
CONTACT
I appreciate hearing from web site visitors. Click
here if you have any questions or would like to share your
John Pennekamp Park paddling knowledge on this web site.
Special thanks to the Florida State Park
system for providing
some of the information contained on this site.
Thank
you for visiting John Pennekamp Park
Boat Ramps and Marina.
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