Life along the
Florida Keys is truly special and unique. We have the third largest living coral reef in the world as our backyard. Our
incredible love for music, art and nature is what connects our communities, and
often what brings visitors to our shores. For the past 30 years one such event
has brought music, art and nature together with the purpose to not only
entertain, but to educate and protect one of our most precious ecosystems, the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Coming up on July 11th,
the 31st annual Underwater Music Fest will return to the
Lower Keys, and it’s an event you won’t want to miss.
The festival will be at Looe Key Reef, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. and is open to any diver or snorkeler who wants to enjoy the reef in
perhaps the most unique way possible. Looe Key is about six miles south of Big Pine Key and a part of the
National Marine Sanctuary. You may be wondering how this underwater music
festival will work. There will not be any live bands attempting to play some
tunes under the waves. Partnering with WWUS
104.1 FM radio station, the Lower Keys Chamber is hosting the festival and
will have special speakers suspended under boats with water-themed music being
piped in throughout the day. The special playlist will include not only classic
songs like Yellow Submarine, but also a humpback
whale song and other intriguing musical surprises.
If you are planning
to attend the festival, you can also stop by the Looe Key Reef Resort & Dive Center the day before for a free dive clinic. Everyone at the
festival wants it to be a safe one, so the clinic has offered to help with
equipment checks and buoyancy tests, and advice for the best ways to snorkel or
dive in the Marine Sanctuary. You can either reserve space on a charter boat or take your own to any of the public docks in the area to join in the
festival fun. Participants are also encouraged to wear costumes; there will be prizes awarded for the “best-dressed”
festival goers. You can also connect with the art of the Lower Keys during the
Underwater Music Festival. Local artist August
Powers has several pieces that will be available to “play” underwater while enjoying
the festival.
Each year the
Underwater Music Festival draws hundreds of attendees who look forward to a
unique aquatic experience. But there is more to this festival than wacky fun
and great music. Underscoring it all is the need to educate people about how fragile our living coral reefs are
and that they are worth protecting. Throughout the festival, there will be
messages and tips played between music to help divers and snorkelers learn what
they can do to lessen their own impact on the environment and help protect the
sanctuary in the future.
Being able to enjoy
the beauty of the National Marine Sanctuary is a worthwhile benefit to living
in the Florida Keys. If you are ready to
enjoy
the beauty of this region for yourself, and are looking at the Key West area, my team and I are here
to help you with finding the home of your dreams. Please contact me,
Jimmy Lane, for all of your
real estate needs.
Labels: jimmy lane, Looe Key, Underwater Music Festival
