Snorkeling Looe Key Reef with Captain Hook’s from Big Pine Key

I enjoy doing snorkeling trips through dive companies, because you tend to get a much more in depth experience or you get to go to a more interesting destination than a standard snorkel tour. Captain Hook’s snorkel trip to Looe Key Reef is one of those great experiences with a unique spin. I’m not saying that you’ll be going on a mixed dive/snorkel trip necessarily, but because Captain Hook’s on Big Pine Key focuses on diving, they use that same sense of adventure and experience level for snorkeling trips, and Looe Key Reef is pretty cool.

If you aren’t familiar with the different reefs and spurs of the Florida Keys, there are quite a few stretching from Key Largo all the way to the Dry Tortugas. Looe Key Reef is a beautiful section of the bigger reef system and it’s awesome for an intermediate snorkeling experience. Read on, and if you have any questions about going out with Captain Hook’s Tours or snorkeling at Looe Key Reef, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a great Florida Keys trip.

Highlights of Looe Key Reef Snorkeling

Going out with Captain Hook’s from Big Pine Key is one of the few snorkeling trips that go to Looe Key Reef. Yes, there are some beautiful reefs in the Keys, including the Molasses Reef off Key Largo and Sombrero Key Reef off Marathon, but Looe Key is different. It feels like the journey out to Looe Key Reef is a bit longer, and hence there are far fewer snorkel tours and independent boaters hanging out there, so that’s nice. I’m also one of those people who likes to be able to say that I’ve been to lots of different reefs and dive sites, so this checks off that box for me.

When you go out snorkeling with Captain Hook’s from Big Pine Key, you’ll find that Looe Key Reef is very healthy. There are a lot of colorful fish and corals here, and what really surprised us was how many goliath grouper we saw. We’ve gotten to see goliath grouper in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge snorkeling with Key West Eco Tours on the Java Cat, but that’s the only other time we’ve gotten to see them so well and so close. Snorkeling at Looe Key Reef (at least when we were there) was a trove of grouper that was amazing and impressive.

In addition to the beautiful Florida Keys wildlife and the different reef visit, I really liked the crew on our snorkeling tour with Captain Hook’s. They were very patient with the newbies on the boat (quite a few) and were very clear and attentive about safety, including jellyfish concerns. Since Looe Key Reef is so remote, that sort of open water snorkel can feel very intimidating for people who aren’t accustomed to being out on the water like this, and the staff really managed it well.

Tips for a Great Looe Key Reef Snorkeling Trip

Snorkeling at Looe Key Reef is really cool, but if you’re planning this tour with first-time snorkelers or small kids, I think there are other places that may be better suited. As I mentioned, Looe Key Reef is a bit further out so it can feel more intimidating when you’re on the water and it feels like you’re in the middle of the ocean. Part of feeling safe when you’re snorkeling is feeling confident, so even though the reef is still quite shallow, it may feel more daunting. If this doesn’t sound right for you, there are lots of great wildlife tours in the Florida Keys to choose from.

When you get out to Looe Key Reef, the crew with Captain Hook’s sets up a line to create a perimeter for where you should be snorkeling. This is great because it both keeps you in a safe zone as well as where the best snorkeling opportunities are. I’ve been on tours with people that like to swim off on their own to explore reefs or wreck sites, and sometimes that’s totally fine. If you’re going out with Captain Hook’s snorkeling tours (or any guide) and they give guidelines for where to swim, ’tis best to adhere to it. Safety first, in all things.

When you’re snorkeling at Looe Key Reef with Captain Hook’s from Big Pine Key, they’ll provide you with life jackets that you must wear when you’re in the water. I never like wearing a PFD when I’m snorkeling because I like to free dive, but I absolutely get it out here. The brightly colored life jackets serve two purposes: a rescue device in the open water and making it easier to spot snorkelers from the boat. On a day with a little bit more rough seas, keeping tour participants more visible is very important, so just go with it, no matter how experienced you are.

Being Prepared for Snorkeling Tours

Of course you’ll want to apply your reef-safe sunblock at least 15 minutes before you get into the water when you’re out at Looe Key Reef, but this is something Captain Hook’s also provides, so if you don’t have your own reef-safe sunscreen that you like, please use what they provide on the boat. Also, every boat captain or crew member will tell you: DO NOT BRING SPRAY SUNBLOCK ON A BOAT. This makes the deck slick and dangerous, and most of the spray sunblock products available aren’t reef safe.

When you’re doing Looe Key Reef snorkeling you don’t need to bring your own snorkeling gear, as it’s all provided (most Florida Keys snorkeling tours do this), but you’re welcome to bring your own if you want. I like to travel with my own snorkel mask because it’s frameless and great for me and my sensitive face, but if you don’t have one you like, the ones Captain Hook’s provides are good masks. They also have fins, which are really helpful when you’re doing an open water snorkel like Looe Key Reef.

I usually just bring my smartphone in a good waterproof case when I’m snorkeling. I don’t mean a Ziplock style one, but one that’s specific to my phone and that I’ve tested in advance and confirmed that it’s water tight. If you’re shopping for one and can get a waterproof case that’s rated for more than 3 meters, that’s good. Snorkeling you usually won’t go deeper than that, but if you do…

Getting to Captain Hook’s Big Pine Key Snorkeling Tours

There is plenty of parking at Captain Hook’s Big Pine Key snorkeling office. If you’re coming from Key West, it’ll be on the left just after you cross the Pine Channel Bridge, or if you’re coming from Marathon it’ll be on the right. For anyone who’s booked Captain Hook’s Big Pine Key snorkeling tour to Looe Key Reef on their way away from Key West it’s about 45 minutes from town, and if you’re coming from the north it’s 25 minutes from Marathon or just over an hour from Islamorada.

Bonus: after you’re done with your Looe Key Reef snorkeling, pop over to the Blue Hole on Big Pine Key to see if you can see some key deer. They’re a very small species and are only found here.