Looe Key is one of the finest coral reefs in the Florida Keys — a spur-and-groove reef system named after HMS Looe, a British frigate that ran aground here in 1744. The reef sits about 6 miles southwest of Big Pine Key in around 5 to 35 feet of water, putting the shallow sections within easy reach of snorkellers and making it ideal for novice divers. The coral formations are dense and healthy by Keys standards, with elkhorn and staghorn corals, sea fans, and abundant fish life including angelfish, parrotfish, and the occasional nurse shark resting on the sand.
Several dive operators on Big Pine Key and nearby Summerland Key run half-day trips to Looe Key, typically including two dives. Snorkel trips are also common. The wreck of the MV Adolphus Busch, a 210-foot freighter deliberately sunk as an artificial reef in 1998, lies nearby at about 110 feet and draws more experienced divers.
story: > HMS Looe sank here on 5 February 1744 after her captain, Utting, struck the reef while sailing through the Florida Straits at night. The British crew managed to escape in the ship's boats, but the frigate went down with her guns, her stores, and whatever the navy couldn't salvage. Divers occasionally find scattered artifacts, though most have long since been claimed by coral.