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Paradise found

(clockwise from this) The Lower Keys are home to two national wildlife refuges, and a portion of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; five species of sea turtles call the archipelago home; kayaking the mangrovelined waterways of Islamorada; spot wild dolphins from a boat tour; the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center treats and rehabilitates many species of birds; Key Largo-based Coral Restoration Foundation has outplanted some 150,000 critically endangered corals off the Keys since 2007

CONNECT & PROTECT IN THE

FLORIDA KEYS

Jutting out from Florida’s southern tip, this sub-tropical necklace of islands brims with natural riches, from a sprawling coral reef to precious and rare wildlife. The local residents are its most passionate guardians, so here’s how you can explore with the lightest of footsteps, with help from the ‘Stewards of the Keys’…

HELP RESTORE A CORAL REEF WITH ROXANE BOONSTRA’S DIVE TEAM

Few experiences are more stirring than diving into the deep blue to see kaleidoscopic coral reefs, and you can do just that in the Florida Keys. The archipelago is home to the only living coral barrier reef in the continental USA, and the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) is committed to protecting it. In just over a decade, the CRF has restored some 17,600 sq km of Florida’s reef through a method called outplanting.

Nearby, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the USA’s first undersea park, is another great place to make a splash. When choosing a snorkelling or diving expedition, just remember to consider a ‘Blue Star’ sustainable and responsible tour operator.

Roxane Boonstra is the foundation’s Dive Training Administrator, working with local charters to help divers explore the coral reef in responsible ways. Start your adventure with a visit to CRF’s Exploration Center in Key Largo to learn of the importance of the ecosystem, before delving beneath the ocean and planting some coral yourself within an organised program.

WATCH WILDLIFE WITH CAPTAIN SAM ZEHER

There’s a bounty of wildlife in the Florida Keys, from gentle manatees to colourful birdlife, and a responsible boat tour is a top way to see it. Head out with KeyZ Charters; founded by Captain Sam Zeher, it’s one of just a handful of female ownedand-run operations on the archipelago.

Sam will whisk you out from Robbie’s Marina, Islamorada, in a tri-hull deck boat with room for six wildlife-loving passengers. You’ll weave through labyrinthine mangrove channels, keeping your eyes peeled for basking saltwater

crocodiles and ospreys diving for lunch. Sam earned her captain’s license 12 years ago, at the age of just 18, so you’ll be in safe, expert hands.

The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center in Tavernier treats and rehabilitates injured birds and is also a natural refuge for injured or displaced birds that can’t be safely returned to the wild. A walk along the boardwalk trail will reveal avian residents from hawks to shorebirds.

SUPPORT REHABILITATED SEA TURTLES WITH BETTE ZIRKELBACH

Five species of turtles, all sadly endangered, call the Florida Keys’ azure blue waters home. These are the hawksbill, green, Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead and leatherback turtles and one Keys woman plays a core role in protecting them.

For a decade, Bette Zirkelbach has been the manager at Marathon’s Turtle Hospital, a facility devoted to the care of these creatures. Since 1986, the centre has helped to rescue and rehabilitate more than 2,000 turtles. Wherever possible the turtles are released into the wild. The public can get a behind-the-scenes look at the working hospital. Book a 90-minute tour of the centre to learn all about sea turtles and even join a feeding session. It’s sometimes possible to see rehabilitated turtles released back into the wild at beaches across the Keys.

KAYAK THROUGH MANGROVES WITH CAPTAIN BILL KEOGH

Photographer, author and expert tour guide Bill Keogh arrived in the Lower Florida Keys more than three decades ago – and he was so enchanted by the region that he never left. Now he shares the wilds of his adopted home with visitors through his guided eco -friendly kayak tours.

Big Pine Kayak Adventures begin their excursions from Old Wooden Bridge Fishing Camp & Marina near No Name Key Bridge, on Big Pine Key. From here, you’ll navigate the waters around the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge and the National Key Deer Refuge, getting to the heart of a wilderness made up of pin-drop-quiet mangroves and grass flats. Look out for unique-to-the area Key deer, plus wading birds and horseshoe crabs as you take in Bill’s narration on the area’s natural history. For extra inspiration, Bill published the Florida Keys Paddling Guide so you can plan your own watery adventure.

SEE DOLPHINS WITH CAPTAIN BILLY LITMER

Glimpsing a dolphin pod dance about the ocean’s surface is bucket list stuff and Honest Eco’s Dolphin Watch and Snorkel tours offer this rare opportunity. The company is the brainchild of biologist Billy Litmer, who wanted to bring eco-friendly nature tours, including wild dolphin watching, to the Key West region.

To keep environmental impacts low, Billy designed a pioneering hybrid catamaran – affectionately named SQUID – that’s powered by a lithium-ion, solar-charged battery. When you go on a tour, the time spent out on the pristine blue waters of Key West National Wildlife Refuge almost feels indulgent. You’ll spend four hours or so in search of dolphins, and enjoying a guided snorkelling trip.

However you decide to spend your time exploring the Florida Keys, ensuring your visit is an eco-friendly one will be easy with a little help from the ‘Stewards of the Keys’.