Excursion participants prepare to snorkel off of Elliott Key in Biscayne National Park
For those who like snorkeling, the 3.5-hour Snorkel Experience excursion operated by the Biscayne National Park Institute is a good way to spend part of your day. The trip departs from the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point in Homestead, Florida, twice a day, year-round. See the Biscayne National Park Institute’s Snorkel Experience web page for the latest schedule, fees, and to make a reservation.
The Snorkel Experience trip is for those 6 years old and up and who have some snorkeling experience. If you or your children do not know how to use a snorkel, the open ocean is not the place to learn. Biscayne National Park Institute does offer a Snorkeling for Beginners trip for those 4 years old and up. Sites chosen for this excursion will be shallow and on the bay side of the keys (islands) where the water is calmer than on the Atlantic Ocean side.
Snorkeling excursions typically take participants to two sites. The exact locations are determined by the weather, but choices will inevitably be a coral reef, a shipwreck, or a mangrove root system found along the shore of one of the islands within the park. On my Snorkeling Experience excursion, due to threatening weather, both stops were on the bay side of Elliott Key, one at a fringing reef and one at a mangrove root system.
The fringing reef, which is a coral reef attached to the shore of an island, was about a mile north of the Elliott Key Harbor at Coon Point. This was an excellent site located in shallow water, so there was rarely a need to dive below the surface to see the corals and fish. It was also an interesting spot because just a little ways off the shore, the reef ended and the seagrass began. Being a different habitat, you are likely to see different types of sea creatures. It is in the grass that I saw a young sting ray.
Fringing reef at Coon Point on Elliott Key, Biscayne National Park
Young sting ray in the seagrass at Coon Point on Elliott Key, Biscayne National Park
The second stop was at the mangrove-covered shoreline at Billys Point, which is about three miles south of Coon Point. There were not as many fish here, but seeing this unique ecosystem was certainly worth the time. The mangrove roots grow into the water, creating shelter for young fish and other sea creatures. For some snorkelers, including my daughter, the roots can be a little creepy, but I found poking my head into them to be a very cool experience. To stabilize yourself, you can grab onto the roots, but be aware that corals and barnacles grow on them and that some of these can be sharp. When grabbing a root, but sure to latch onto a bare spot. If you are afraid of something lurching out from the mangroves and dragging you in so that you are never seen again, there is plenty of seagrass to explore.
If you have more time, more money, and would also like to add paddling to your itinerary, I highly recommend the 6-hour Snorkel and Paddle Eco-Adventure. You get the same amount of snorkeling as with the Snorkel Experience plus paddling in one of Biscayne National Park’s lagoons.
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Last updated on July 2, 2025
