Key Largo is as much a state of mind as a pinpoint on a map, a place that – in the same instant – can conjure the sublime and the ridiculous, the romantic and the raucous.
Bogie and Becall created timeless film noir here. Divers worship here. And folks tend to get more than a tad weird here.
Let’s look at the serious side first. Key Largo looms large as a dive site. The area’s reefs are wondrous. Underlining just how fragile these undersea ecosystems are is Dr. Deron Burkepile. Come Friday, July 20 he will present the lecture Striking a Balance: Coral Reefs and Human Systems. The focus is on how human beings can trigger a ripple effect that has the potential to change the essential balance of marine ecosystems. Boring? Not at all. Not when you consider that so much of what we depend on comes from the sea. A meet and greet precedes the presentation. For information e-mail Linda Kaplin.
Now that you’ve sated the serious side its’ time to get goofy. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 17 – 18 Key Largo hosts a wacky Anything That Floats regatta.
Here’s how it works: resourceful crews scavenge up recycled, reusable stuff that sort of stays on top of the water and then they construct a boat out of it. Contestants can use wood, PVC, jugs, buckets, pool noodles, plastic wrap, lawn furniture and even cardboard. They bind all of this together with – you guessed it – duct tape. Old T-shirts work nicely as sails. Oars and paddles are okay too – but motors are forbidden. Also out are foam, floats, rafts and pool toys. Gets pretty complex.
The Anything That Floats course is a half-mile buoyed affair that doesn’t stray (thankfully) too far from shore.
To set the mood for this man-against-the-sea saga there will be a captain’s party Friday night at 7 at Señor Frijoles. Wash a plate of lobster fajitas down with a Margarita. Limit the latter. You are in training for the race. Right?
(Image: Stig Nygaard)
