50th Anniversary of John Pennekamp with Sylvia Earle December 10, 2010

Join us for this Awesome Event.(Ocean Rehab Initiative)
press release BY CAMMY CLARK
cclark@MiamiHerald.com

The World's first Underwater Park celebrates 50 years.

KEY LARGO -- But it wasn’t until 12 years later that Key Largo’s status as an international tourist destination was anchored with the establishment of the world’s first underwater park: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Over the years, Key Largo, with its crystal clear offshore waters, gained the reputation as the “Diving Capital of the World.”

If you are a diver — or just love the water and nature — the first eleven days in December are a great time to visit the park that draws day-trippers from Miami and tourists from around the globe.

Pennekamp Park is celebrating its 50th birthday with a big splash.

Everybody is invited to join in the fun with events that include a snorkeling record attempt, photo contest, coral restoration seminar, shoreline cleanup, lionfish roundup and under-the-sea party at the “Christ of the Abyss,” a 9-foot-high bronze statute resting in 25 feet of water. Santa is expected to attend with his SCUBA gear.

The celebration begins Dec. 1 and concludes Dec. 11 with free admission to the park, where there will be an educational and environmental fair, children’s activities and a 50-year oral history presentation from former park managers and staff. The featured speaker will be Dr. Sylvia Earle, world-renowned oceanographer, explorer and Time Magazine’s first “Hero for the Planet.”

Topping it all off: a boat parade on the bay side of Key Largo with the theme, “50 Years Under the Sea.”