February 2007

Rating : 5 out of 10

Tariff : $30 per person plus wet suit rental and tax and tip*

Location and Facility

Conveniently located at the southern end of Marathon Key (MM47.5), just before the famous 7-mile bridge, this snorkeling boat is a small time operation with a sign, a couple of picnic tables and a storage locker of wetsuits on a dock called the Seadog Charters Marina. The boat itself is a catamaran; it has a roof to provide shade and bench style seating. It was clean and comfortable but had no bathroom and we weren't allowed free choice of where to sit. (We weren't even allowed to keep our shoes on!) Nor were we allowed to use the fresh water shower after snorkeling. There was a small selection of drinks and snacks available for a reasonable price in case you had not brought anything along. Underwater cameras were grossly overpriced.

Service

I have no problem with small operations, but the quality of the services they offer can vary widely from friendly and welcoming with personal attention to brusque, rough around the edges, and greedy--unfortunately this trip fell into the later category. Our captain was a gruff woman who spoke in such a matter-of-fact way that it bordered on rudeness. We were bombarded with rules--where to sit, not to stand up or move, not to drop anything in the water (how much we would have to pay for lost equipment was emphasized), how to enter the water, and where we could and could not swim (a very restricted area). The boat trip is a means to an end (i.e. the snorkeling itself is really what travelers are there for) but I have been on much friendlier, more comfortable, service-oriented trips than this one.

*To top this off, the ride finished with no less than 4 requests for tips. Now, I'm no fanatic about this subject and mentioning that tips are appreciated or displaying a sign and tip jar is not an affront in my opinion. However, after receiving no special treatment of any kind other than being bossed around, I was hardly inclined to leave a generous tip (because "you know it's expensive to live in the Keys"--poor things, my heart goes out to them!).

Experience

The actual time in the water was lovely. It was chilly, but the recommended wet suit really helped and with all there is to see, I soon forgot about the water temperature. Snorkeling is a wonderful adventure and a window into the undersea world. The formations below us appeared as craggy mountain ridges and sandy valleys, teaming with colorful life. We had an hour and a half time to float or swim around and see the coral reef and its inhabitants. Far from experts, we were able to identify many of the fish and sea creatures we had seen once we boarded the boat, including a huge green moray eel and several large barracudas--yikes!

Additional Comments

Several years ago (2005) we snorkeled with nearby Spirit Snorkeling (305) 289-0614 and had a much nicer experience on our first trip to the reef.