Key Largo, Florida, United States

Pickles Reef

Pickles Reef is a mid-shelf coral reef off Key Largo named for the cement-filled wooden barrels from a nineteenth-century shipwreck that lie scattered across the bottom; early divers thought the cylindrical shapes looked like pickle barrels and the name stuck. The barrels themselves have hardened into reef rock and are now home to encrusting sponges, feather duster worms and small reef fish. The reef has gentle spur-and-groove relief from about 4 metres on the inner flat to 11 metres on the outer edge, with patches of brain and star coral and sea fans on the spurs. It is a quieter alternative to Molasses and French Reefs and a favourite for second-tank dives. Common sightings include hogfish, French and blue angelfish, southern stingrays, hawksbill turtles, Caribbean spiny lobster under the ledges, and schools of grunts. Currents are usually weak and conditions are forgiving for newly certified divers practicing buoyancy and navigation.