Made mostly of calcium carbonate rock that now averages about ten feet above sea level, the island of Key Largo was once an ancient coral reef some 130,000 years ago. Bayside beaches like the one pictured above at the Sheraton Beach Resort where Caribbean Watersports is located are rare because the shallow bay waters do not allow big deep waves to crush shells and make sandy beaches. Also, any beach that does form usually becomes covered with Red Mangrove trees.
Today, the colorful hills and valleys of the living coral reefs are located five to eight miles seaward of Key Largo and protect the rocky mangrove shoreline from ocean swells. Snorkel trips to the nearby coral reefs leave from the Sheraton Beach Resort site. Check out www.caribbeanwatersports.com for details.
Of all the animals in Florida bay, perhaps the oldest sizable animal of the area is the Horseshoe Crab.
Older than dinosaurs and related to trilobites, this ancient sea-spider crab uses copper in its blood to carry oxygen like we use iron. A living fossil, the Horseshoe Crab sheds its outer shell many times over its lifespan as it climbs out through a seam along the lower front edge. Male crabs have scorpion-looking claws for mating purposes, while female crabs do not.