There are
28 scuba and snorkel trip companies in Marathon (listed below) and are a popular option for avid outdoorsmen visiting the heart of the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are world renowned for having not only the best overall saltwater fishing in the world but also for being home to some of the best dive sites in North America, supported by
Monroe County’s active efforts to create high quality artificial reefs and dive sites.
The town of Marathon calls itself “The Heart of the Florida Keys,” and if you measure that by the availability of local fishing charters, then Marathon holds up very well as one of the best spots in Monroe County Florida. Whether you like staying in the shallower flats for beginning snorkeling, or you’re an expert looking for something one of a kind, the town of Marathon has something for you.
The town of Marathon, FL stretches over several different Keys throughout the island chain. This town is on the southern side of the Keys, and Marathon finds itself south of the equally or better known Islamorada and north of the Big Pine Key. This area is extremely well known not only for world quality snorkeling and scuba diving adventures but also for saltwater fishing, water sports, sunset cruises, and beaches.
Marathon Keys
Marathon stretches over seven different smaller Keys. This means that at any given time in Marathon you could be on
Key Vaca,
Knight’s Key,
Boot Key,
Crawl Key,
Grassy Key Islands,
Fat Deer Key, or
Long Point Key, all depending on what part of town you are visiting. This also gives you a large number of beautiful bridges and views on evening or morning walks going through town as you stroll casually from one key to another.
Other Things To Do
Unsurprisingly the main highway running through everything is the
Overseas Highway, which connects all of the Florida Keys. However Marathon is large enough with several thousand residents to have plenty of side streets to take you throughout the town. Whether you’re looking to spend a day with the family at
Marathon Community Park or setting out on a professional fishing charter from
Boot Key Harbor, you can take your time looking around on the side streets. The Sombrero Country Club is the place to go in Marathon for a game of golf, and if you’re taking the main highway in it makes sense to stop at the Curry Hammock State Park on the way in.
Scuba Dive & Snorkel Spots
While this shows there’s plenty to do in town for the family, the serious underwater explorers will want to find a professional guide to hit the best diving sites available in the area. East Washerwoman is a great beginners site for snorkelers, with depths running shallow from 10 to 20 feet and only six miles out from Key Colony Beach. A 36 foot tower marks the spot, and several types of coral can be found at this Marathon, FL snorkeling site.
Adolphus Busch
Adolphus Busch is quite a ways from Marathon and in fact closer to the Big Pine Key, but is a world famous dive site that is intended only for serious scuba divers. This site was created in 1998 when the large ship of the same name was intentionally sunk in over 100 feet of water. The average depth of the site is 85 feet, with a maximum depth kicking in at a full 110 feet. The Adolphus Busch is known for its wide variety of underwater sea life including three giant Jewfish known to stay in that area and which weigh in excess of 400 lbs.
The Sombrero Reef
The Sombrero Reef is another extremely popular scuba diving site for novices and beginners. The
Sombrero Reef Lighthouse marks the boundary of this dive site and is one of the largest coral reefs in the Middle Keys. This reef enjoys a very strong reputation of containing the best spur and groove reef formations of all Florida Keys. This area is full of underwater life with huge schools of colorful tropical fish, nurse sharks, and stingrays; among many others. Depths of 20 to 35 feet also make this an ideal site for beginning scuba divers and snorkelers.
Delta Shoals
The town of
Marathon Florida is a great location for starting out with any type of diving trip. Marathon, FL snorkeling & scuba diving charters will be able to bring you to any of these locations as well as guide you to some of the best spots at each of these dive sites. The
Delta Shoals run from 10 feet deep to 25 feet deep and feature good snorkeling sites, some good wreck sites for beginners, and a wide array of coral networks. Because of the coral you can also count on seeing a wide array of sea life who call these canyons, ridges, and formations home. This is a great site for first time visitors to get a sense of what the Florida Keys have to offer without having to display advanced skills.
Other Dive Sites
Marathon is close to well over a dozen dive sites that include
Coffins Patch,
Duck Key Wreck,
HMS Looe,
Herman’s Hole,
Ivory Wreck,
The Horseshoe, and
Thunderbolt. When it comes to scuba diving in the Florida Keys you are going to have a hard time finding a better starting spot than Marathon. To find a qualified charter, make sure to look at the various harbors and marinas throughout the area.
There are many local marinas to choose from, starting as far north as
Tom’s Harbor at Duck Key, with a huge concentration around the Boat Key Harbor which is also home to the
Marathon City Marina. The
Key Colony Beach Marina to the north is also very popular among many visitors and locals alike. Even away from these two spots are a variety of marinas up and down the town of Marathon and all the small Keys the town is spread across. There’s sure to be one offering the perfect charter for what you’re looking for.
Here's our list of
28 Marathon scuba diving and snorkeling charters.