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VISITORS' INFORMATION
All plant and animal life is protected in state parks, as are non-living materials, such as rock and mineral specimens or artifacts. Parks open at 8 a.m. and close at sunset year-round. For visitors' safety, regulations prohibiting the feeding of animals are enforced. Pets must be on a sixfoot, hand-held leash at all times. They are not permitted in campgrounds, swimming areas, or any park buildings. Intoxicants are not permitted in any area of state parks. Some activities and facilities are accessible to the handicapped. Inquire at the respective park.
Snorkeling and diving are the best ways to observe the coral reefs and associated marine life. The DIVERS DOWN flag must be displayed while in the water. NEVER swim alone. Do not touch anything you are unsure of and treat all underwater life with respect. Do not touch, grasp, or stand on coral, for it will die. Anchors are very destructive when dropped into coral; therefore, anchor only in sandy bottom areas. Spearfishing is prohibited in state parks.
JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the first underwater state park in the United States. Pennekamp and the adjacent Key Largo Coral Reef National Marine Sanctuary extend 8.5 nautical miles into the Atlantic and are 21 nautical miles long (approximately 10 by 25 miles), covering about 178 square nautical miles. 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 Pennekamp, a Miami newspaper editor who contributed to the establishment of the Everglades National Park and to the perpetuation of Florida's park system. Tropical vegetation, shore birds and marine life may be seen within the park. The mangrove swamp, with a boardwalk through it, allows visitors to explore the swamp's ecosystem. On the upland areas the tropical hardwood hammock's nature trail provides views of numerous exotic trees. Boulders around the swimming areas are Key Largo Limestone, showing examples of the coral reef lithology of this geological formation. The park's living reef is a modern counterpart of the ancient reef that produced these rocks. The present reef is made of the same plant and animal communities