You probably know that Florida is famous for its shorelines, from the shell-stacked beaches of Sanibel Island to the music-soaked swaths of Miami. But many of the Sunshine State’s coolest attractions rarely see the light of day—they’re fully underwater. Here are some of the state’s strangest and most spectacular sites, beyond the beach, and below the surface.
Built from a coral rock quarry in 1923, this 820,000-gallon, spring-fed pool is drained and filled each day in the spring and summer. Lounge and splash around the lookouts or the bridge that spans the water, and you can easily picture yourself in an Italian grotto. (Read more.)
2701 de Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Since the 1940s, “mermaids” have enchanted visitors to this deep, natural spring. The spring is flanked by old, towering cypress trees, but the main attraction is the brigade of fin-wearing swimmers who dance under the water, starring in such shows as, unsurprisingly, The Little Mermaid. (Read more.)
6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee Spings State Park, Spring Hill, FL 34606
In August 1965, a nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Christ was lowered into 25 feet of water off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. Known as the Christ of the Abyss, this submerged statue in John Pennekamp State Park was actually the third of its kind cast from the original Italian mold. The figure, a memorial to those who lost their lives at sea, holds its arms in a wide embrace, and casts its gaze up toward the surface. (Read more.)
251 County Rd 905, Key Largo, FL 33037
Submerged about 30 feet in the Gulf of Mexico is a 19th-century ship. After the guns were yanked out, the vessel was sunk for artillery practice. Now, it’s essentially an artificial reef. An underwater archaeological preserve, the battleship is popular among groups of divers and schools of fish. (Read more.)
Pensacola, FL