News from Florida Keys and Key West

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In Key West, the New Year was welcomed with Sushi — not the seafood sensation, but a sensational diva who has adopted the name. On New Year’s Eve, female impersonator Sushi headlined the annual “shoe drop” celebration for the 16th consecutive year at the Bourbon St. Pub/New Orleans House complex, 724 Duval St.

Jan. 25-26: Key Largo Stone Crab & Seafood Festival

Full of fresh conch, local stone crab and other seafood, entertainment and fun for the entire family, the festival includes cooking demonstrations, eating and costume contests, a kids' play area, arts and crafts vendors, music and more.

Event information: www.keylargoseafoodfestival.com.

Islamorada Boat Tours Opens at Postcard Inn at Holiday Isle

Islamorada Boat Tours has opened at Postcard Inn at Holiday Isle, launching a series of new on-the-water excursions for visitors to the Florida Keys. They include the Snorkel and Sandbar Eco Tour, a 2.5-hour afternoon tour with two reef snorkel stops on Mattie Sue, a 45-foot Corinthian catamaran that accommodates up to 49 passengers. Snorkel gear is provided, as are water toys, floats, coolers with ice and binoculars for spotting wild dolphins or other wildlife during the family-friendly trips.

Between October and May, visitors can book a 1.5-hour sunset cruise departing from the marina at Postcard Inn. Passengers listen to relaxing Caribbean-style music and sip complimentary rum punch or champagne to toast sunset as the boat cruises over to the bayside.

The Snorkel and Sandbar tour costs $35 per adult, $25 per child aged 4–12, and children under four go free. The Sunset Cruise costs $35 per adult, $17 per child aged 4–12, and children under four go free.

Located just minutes away from Key Largo, Islamorada is the centrepiece of a group of islands called the “purple isles.” Spanish explorers named the area “morada,” the Spanish word for purple — either for the violet sea snail found on the seashore here, or for the purple bougainvillea flowers found in the area. Known as the “Sport fishing Capital of the World,” Islamorada is heralded for its angling diversity and features the Keys’ largest fleet of offshore charter boats and shallow-water “backcountry” boats.

For reservations and more information on Islamorada Boat Tours, visit www.islamoradaboattours.com

For more information on Postcard Inn at Holiday Isle, visit www.holidayisle.com

Divers Can Help Experts Salvage 1622 Treasure Galleon on Atocha Dive Adventure

Certified divers now can register to work alongside professional treasure salvage experts on the wrecksite of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha during weeklong adventures set for the 2014 summer salvage season.

Believed to be the richest Spanish galleon shipwreck ever discovered, the Atocha sank in 1622 approximately 35 miles southwest of Key West. Approximately $450 million of the vessel's treasure and a significant portion of its structure were discovered in 1985 by the late shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher.

Crews led by Fisher's family continue to search for the ship's sterncastle and the gold and silver bars and coins that are listed on the Atocha's manifest but remain undiscovered. The Atocha Dive Adventure, presented by the Fisher family and Mel Fisher's Treasures of Key West, gives recreational divers a chance to be part of the historic search and recovery effort.

The weeklong Atocha Dive Adventure includes training in commercial treasure salvage techniques, behind-the-scenes tours of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and the Fishers' private artifact conservation laboratory, and two days of diving the site alongside salvage experts seeking the galleon's sterncastle.

Any participating diver who discovers gold, silver or artifacts will be awarded a previously conserved Atocha piece of equal value, up to $3,000, from the Fisher family's collection.

Each adventure week is limited to six divers. Dates for 2014 are June 9 –15 and 16–22, July 14–20 and 21–27, and Aug. 4–10 and 11–17.

The package includes quality accommodations in an Old Town Key West vacation home, a welcome party and orientation, a sunset sail and gatherings with the Fisher family and crew.

Nondiving companions can participate in all land-based activities and receive a "Key West Treasure Chest" package that includes free admission to Key West museums and a $250 gift certificate to the Mel Fisher's Treasures retail store.

Cost for the week is $3,000 per diver. Cost for a nondiving companion to share a room with a participating diver is $1,000. Space is extremely limited, so early registration is suggested.

Event information: melfisher.com/myadventure or email AtochaDiveAdventure@melfisher.com
Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest

For more information on the Florida Keys & Key West, visit www.fla-keys.co.uk

January 2014

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FOR MEDIA INFORMATION ONLY:

For more information and images, please contact Ulla Helander at the Florida Keys & Key West Nordic Press Office on ulla.helander@miltton.fi

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