Why is the water so green in Key West?

North and west of the island chain, light passing through shallow waters and reflecting off the sea grass beds and sandy bottoms of Florida Bay gives this part of the scene a green-yellow hue. The light blue line south and east of the islands is a living coral reef system—among the largest in the world.



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The Keys has the longest living coral reef in America, running 221 miles from Key Largo FL and continuing southwest to the Dry Tortugas National Park. The coral reefs protection keeps the waves from crashing ashore, which causes erosion. This also means the water inshore of the coral reefs is shallower, and calmer.

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As sargassum washes ashore every year in Key West, locals and visitors alike are primarily annoyed by the smell of the sargassum quantity on the beach. This giant blob of seaweed breaks up along the shore to create a mess on public beaches in Monroe County, but there's not too much danger involved.

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You see, Key West and the rest of the Florida Keys are coral islands – former reefs, created when the ocean was deeper and the region was submerged below the sea. Today, the ocean is shallower and the living coral reefs are six miles offshore, providing a barrier to waves and swells.

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The Best Beaches In Key West
  • 1) Dry Tortugas & Fort Jefferson. To many, this secluded cluster of islands 70 miles west of Key West is home to the most beautiful beach in the Florida Keys. ...
  • 2) Fort Zachary Taylor. ...
  • 3) Smathers Beach. ...
  • 4) Higgs Beach. ...
  • 5) Bahia Honda State Park.


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Bahia Honda State Park is located off the Seven Mile Bridge. From this pristine location, you'll be able to enjoy the crystal blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Bring your bathing suit and a book and relax at what Condé Nast once called the “best beach in the continental US”.

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The water temperature in Florida Keys does not fall below 68?F throughout those months, making swimming enjoyable. In the Florida Keys, the water is an average temperature of 75.4?F in the winter, 78.6?F in the spring, 85.6?F in the summer, and 82.8?F in the fall.

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Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Grace Bay in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos is definitely a destination to consider if you're looking for Caribbean beach without seaweed for a family, couples or group vacation.

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August is the hottest month in Key West, with average temperatures ranging from an average high of 91 to a low of 81 degrees. The humidity is also quite high, with plenty of rainfall. For those sensitivy to humidity and weary of rain, August is probably the worst time to visit Key West.

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