Western dry rocks

Western Dry Rocks is a coral reef site located approximately 11 miles southwest of Key West, within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It sits deeper and receives fewer visitors than its eastern counterpart, Eastern Dry Rocks, which contributes to better visibility and encounters with larger marine species. The reef features healthy coral formations and diverse underwater terrain.

The site reaches depths of 15 to 45 feet (roughly 4.5 to 13.7 metres) and is suited to scuba divers and advanced snorkelers. The reef terrain includes coral formations typical of the Florida Keys reef tract, part of the third-largest living coral barrier reef in the world.

Marine life at Western Dry Rocks includes nurse sharks, moray eels, sea turtles, and tropical fish. The site's relative quiet compared to shallower, busier reefs in the area tends to attract these larger species.