John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
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John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
Location | Monroe County, Florida, U.S. |
Nearest city | Key Largo, Florida |
Coordinates | 25°07′12″N 80°24′18″W / 25.12000°N 80.40500°W |
Area | 53,000 acres (210 km2) |
Established | 1963 |
Visitors | 1,000,000 (in 2004) |
Governing body | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is a
In
History
Plans to designate the reefs off Key Largo for a park started in the 1930s. The state-sanctioned Everglades National Park Commission proposed a national park for the Everglades, including the reefs off Key Largo. Opposition from property owners, outdoorsmen, and Monroe County Commissioners stopped the plan. When Everglades National Park was created in 1947, the boundaries did not include Key Largo or any of the reefs.[2]
By the late 1950s, citizens were growing concerned of the damage occurring to the reefs along the Florida Keys.
These efforts led the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials to designate the state-controlled reefs off Key Largo a permanent preserve. In the spring of 1960, President
Recreational activities
The reefs may be viewed from glass-bottom boats, snorkeling, and scuba diving above the coral formations.
The visitor center features a 30,000-US-gallon (110,000 L; 25,000 imp gal) saltwater aquarium and six smaller aquariums. The State Park also has a natural history exhibit about the park's different biological communities and ecosystems and a theater showing nature Films and videos.
Christ of the Abyss
One of the most famous sites in the Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the Christ of the Abyss, located near North Dry Rocks, and within the existing Key Largo management area that was incorporated into the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary [4] "on November 16, 1990". The 8+1⁄2-foot-tall (2.6 m) statue of Jesus Christ weighs 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) and stands in nearly 25 feet (7.6 m) of water. It is a popular site for scuba divers and snorkelers. The statue is located at latitude 25.123373 and longitude -80.297073.
The statue is a third casting of Il Cristo Degli Abissi in the
Climate
John Pennekamp has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw).
Climate data for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (1991–2020 normals, extremes 2004–present) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
89 (32) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
91 (33) |
88 (31) |
86 (30) |
97 (36) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 81.7 (27.6) |
83.1 (28.4) |
85.0 (29.4) |
87.0 (30.6) |
88.4 (31.3) |
90.9 (32.7) |
91.9 (33.3) |
91.9 (33.3) |
90.9 (32.7) |
89.0 (31.7) |
85.2 (29.6) |
83.1 (28.4) |
92.9 (33.8) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 76.2 (24.6) |
78.0 (25.6) |
79.7 (26.5) |
82.5 (28.1) |
85.1 (29.5) |
88.1 (31.2) |
89.8 (32.1) |
90.1 (32.3) |
88.8 (31.6) |
85.9 (29.9) |
81.4 (27.4) |
78.1 (25.6) |
83.6 (28.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 62.6 (17.0) |
64.5 (18.1) |
66.8 (19.3) |
70.7 (21.5) |
74.2 (23.4) |
77.2 (25.1) |
78.5 (25.8) |
78.8 (26.0) |
77.8 (25.4) |
75.3 (24.1) |
69.9 (21.1) |
65.8 (18.8) |
71.8 (22.1) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) |
49.2 (9.6) |
52.5 (11.4) |
59.2 (15.1) |
66.8 (19.3) |
71.4 (21.9) |
72.8 (22.7) |
72.8 (22.7) |
72.1 (22.3) |
65.4 (18.6) |
57.4 (14.1) |
51.7 (10.9) |
43.5 (6.4) |
Record low °F (°C) | 34 (1) |
38 (3) |
44 (7) |
52 (11) |
60 (16) |
68 (20) |
70 (21) |
71 (22) |
65 (18) |
54 (12) |
46 (8) |
37 (3) |
34 (1) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.13 (54) |
2.01 (51) |
2.22 (56) |
3.33 (85) |
4.76 (121) |
7.91 (201) |
5.81 (148) |
6.89 (175) |
8.18 (208) |
7.87 (200) |
3.31 (84) |
2.53 (64) |
56.95 (1,447) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.5 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 10.9 | 13.0 | 14.5 | 16.1 | 11.6 | 8.9 | 7.9 | 115.5 |
Source: NOAA (precip days 2006–2020)[5][6] |
Gallery
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Various soft corals at Molasses Reef
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Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) at Molasses Reef
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A ship winch at Molasses Reef
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Minnow Cave
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Blue tang among coral
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Various fish among coral
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Caribbean Reef Shark at North Dry Rocks, Key Largo
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The Winch at Molasses Reef Key Largo
References
- ^ "About | Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park". pennekamppark.com. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c Wilkinson, Jerry. "John Pennkamp Coral Reef Park". Keys Historeum. Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
- ^ a b "About John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park". Pennekamppark.com. Coral Reef Park Company, Inc. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "History of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary". NOAA. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
- ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: John Pennekamp SP, FL". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
External links
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - official site with tour information
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park at Florida State Parks
- Pennekamp top State Park in Attendance at Florida Keys Treasures