Key Largo Dry Rocks-Grecian Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area
Key Largo Dry Rocks-Grecian Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA) is home to the "Christ of the Deep" statue, a 9-foot bronze statue that sits in a sand channel on the offshore side of Key Largo Dry Rocks in less than 25 feet of water.Mooring buoys are situated around the reef, and vessels must navigate around the outside of the buoys, as trying to cut across the SPA to buoys will result in grounding on the reef.
Grecian Rocks is one mile to the south of Key Largo Dry Rocks, and contains stands of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) as well as soft corals that sway in the current. Grecian Rocks varies in depth: parts of the reef crest are exposed at low tide and depths in this area range to around 30 feet. As you swim away from the reef crest you will find some scattered large coral heads and a thick seagrass bed with turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum).
This combined sanctuary preservation area is one-half square miles in size (318 acres) and located within the boundaries of the Key Largo Management Area, formerly known as the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary.
Special regulations apply here. Learn more about what activities are allowed in this type of zone.
A summary of all sanctuary regulations is available online. For the full text of sanctuary regulations, see 15 CFR 922 Subpart P.