Continuing our series highlighting the amazing wrecks and reefs we have here in Key Largo, today we are going to be looking at Molasses Reef .

Molasses Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area is the most heavily visited reef in the Upper Keys for scuba diving — perhaps the most visited reef dive in the world. There are 32 mooring balls marking different sites within the Molasses Reef area, making it the largest in the Florida Keys.

According to The Reef Environmental Education Foundation, (REEF), Molasses is one of the top reefs in the Caribbean for abundance and diversity of Marine Life, and as our instructors say, Molasses always delivers! It is famous for its clear water, many fish, and numerous boulder corals. It is a classic outer reef with a well-defined spur and groove system of coral development full of the usual tropical marine life. At the central portion of Molasses, offshore of the Molasses Reef Light, a large ship's winch and historic Spanish anchor rest on the seafloor.

Molasses Reef is located within the boundaries of the Key Largo Existing Management Area, formerly Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary.

Sanctuary preservation areas (SPA) within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protect shallow reefs along the reef tract. SPAs encompass discrete, biologically important areas that help sustain critical marine species and habitats. SPAs have mooring buoys for boaters to use in order to prevent anchor damage to corals. There are 18 SPAs within the sanctuary, which together cover a total of about 4.97 square nautical miles.

Regulations for this zone type are designed to limit consumptive activities such as fishing and harvesting, and to separate users engaged in different kinds of activities. Diving, snorkeling, and boating are allowed inside these zones, but fishing and collecting are not. As a Blue Star and GreenFins Operator, Amoray Dive Center is committed to promoting responsible and sustainable diving and snorkeling practices, to help keep out marine ecosystems healthy for generations to come. You can learn more about Blue Star by clicking here.

Photo credits: James Ferrara

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Amoray Dive Center | 305-451-3595 | divecenter@amoraywatersports.com