AMERICA'S FIRST UNDERWATER PARK, JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the United States, has become a national treasure, eliciting images of the Christ of the Deep statue (also known as Christ of the Abyss) submerged in cerulean blue waters teeming with majestic fish. Equally as beautiful, but often overlooked, is the history of the Key Largo park and how it was created 60 years ago and what it has evolved into today. The park was dedicated Dec. 10, 1960, capping efforts by the late “Miami Herald” editor John Pennekamp to create the Florida Keys jewel that lies just outh of Miami. Today the park named for Pennekamp draws more than one million visitors annually to explore its nature trails and beaches and observe the abundant underwater wildlife that inhabits its 70 nautical miles.