Picture a scene out of Nickelodeon’s animated TV show “SpongeBob SquarePants,” but it’s real, and underwater: A man in a wetsuit, 40 feet below the surface, miming playing a handcrafted “obloe-fish” — part-oboe, part-blowfish — while other divers wearing whimsical fish costumes and a mermaid float nearby. A school of minnows and some parrotfish scurry past, aquatic flora swaying below them. This is the very real, delightfully eccentric, Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, held for more than four decades off the coast of Looe Key Reef, 6 miles south of Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Every summer, divers and snorkelers — many dressed as fish, merpeople, and other sea creatures — submerge with instruments ranging from ukuleles to “clambourines” to participate in what is described as a “sub-sea musical adventure,” bringing awareness to coral reef preservation and sustainable diving.
The Florida Keys are a sprawling, 202-mile archipelago jutting off America’s southernmost Atlantic coast. The region is full of under-the-radar natural gems and authentic Florida culture, from secluded, Caribbean-style sandbars to escapist island chains filled with natural beauty. The festival was co-founded in 1985 by Bill Becker, a local radio news director, and his friend, Dr. Fred Troxel, former president of the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce. The two wanted people to experience the beauty of diving and snorkeling in the Florida Keys with a quirky, eco-friendly twist. Originally intended as a one-time event, the festival was so popular it became an annual tradition, pausing only in 2015 due to funding issues. It returned in 2019 and today is a two-day celebration that attracts boaters, scuba divers, and snorkelers from all over the globe. After all, who wouldn’t want to protect something they’ve experienced in such a unique, intimate way?
The Underwater Music Festival plays aquatic-themed tunes
At the Underwater Music Festival, divers don’t actually play instruments underwater. Music is piped beneath the waves using special speakers attached to boats, and the feed is programmed to the local radio station so people onshore can tune in as well. Setlists follow maritime musical programming: “Under the Sea” and “Yellow Submarine” are usually in the lineup, interspersed with ocean conservation messages. Because sound travels faster in water than in air, Bill Becker told Keys Voices that the music “reaches both of your ears almost instantaneously, which gives it very much of a surrounding sound.” Observers have even reported seeing fish sway positively to the music.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was officially designated in 1990 to protect the region’s marine ecosystem, often referred to as the “lifeblood of the Florida Keys.” The sanctuary extends all the way down to Dry Tortugas National Park, the least-visited national park in the U.S., known for its pristine coral reefs. The Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, based on Summerland Key, plays a major role in research and conservation. It maintains a coral nursery in Key Largo, where coral fragments are studied and restored. Because the Underwater Music Festival emphasizes marine education and coral conservation, Mote offers free tours and presentations throughout the festival weekend.
To “immerse yourself” in the Underwater Music Festival, you can book a spot on a boat run by a Lower Keys dive operator. Most dive shops in the area run boats during the festival, and the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce encourages attendees to reach out to dive shops directly to reserve a seat. You can also launch your own boat from the public boat ramps. Just don’t forget your aquatic-themed costume!
The Lower Keys are a wealth of undeveloped nature and preservation-focused initiatives
