Dive into the Keys’ Underwater World with FloridaKeysTV

When you’re not able to travel to the Florida Keys for the area’s amazing diving, you can experience the island chain’s exquisite underwater world through the free streaming channel and app, FloridaKeysTV, providing hours of quality dive programming to inspire ideas for your next visit. 

For example, “Dive the Florida Keys,” a 20-minute episode of the syndicated “How to Do Florida” program, is all about diving in the Keys. Host Chad Crawford shows why the island chain is the ultimate dive destination, with more dive shops per mile than anywhere else in the country.

Crawford leads viewers through a tour of the History of Diving Museum in Islamorada to explore remarkable gear that has made diving possible through history, and to find out more about the sinking of the Spiegel Grove ship as an artificial reef 6 miles off Key Largo. 

The shipwreck is famous for its unusual sinking in May 2002 that went awry, with the vessel ultimately landing on its side. Three years later, Hurricane Dennis brought strong ocean currents that righted the Spiegel Grove, and it remains fully upright for the enjoyment of divers from around the world.

In the show, the host details the sinking saga and then experiences diving the Spiegel Grove himself. 

Six episodes of the Keys-focused diving series “Destination Dive” showcase diving experiences throughout the island chain. As each area of the Keys is explored, you’ll meet local dive operators, coral restoration experts and others influential in experiencing and protecting the Keys’ underwater world. 

New episodes of “Destination Dive” are to be added to the channel later this year. 

Also featured is “Diving the Florida Keys,” a beautiful compilation of underwater footage from acclaimed aquatic cinematographer Frazier Nivens. Paired with mellow music, it runs for just under two hours.

The footage is excellent for playing during gatherings of ocean enthusiasts. Viewers will see scenes of divers exploring many of the shipwrecks off the Keys along with scenery of fish, coral and the miracle of coral spawning, sea turtles and more. 

You’ll also see footage of the sinking of the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a 522-foot former military troop transport and missile-tracking ship that is the second-largest vessel ever intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. 

In another program, travel photographer and filmmaker Rick Southers, known as “Rick on the Run,” takes viewers along during “Living the Conch Life.” Footage chronicles his video exploration of the conservation activities that many Keys locals, known as “conchs,” engage in regularly to preserve and protect the island chain’s unique ecosystems. 

Southers follows the philosophy of becoming as engrossed as possible in an area’s local culture to find out how he can give back and be of service during every visit. Encouraging this mindset among visitors to the Keys underlies the area’s “Connect and Protect” mantra, which encourages connection with the Keys’ natural world to inspire support for protecting it for future generations. 

Several of the experiences highlighted in the program involve diving. You’ll watch the host planting nursery-raised coral on area reefs during a recreational dive through the I.CARE organization in Islamorada — an activity in which recreational divers can participate. 

He also submerges in Key Largo to capture invasive lionfish, a non-native predator that can decimate native reef fish populations. Since lionfish are delicious to eat, this activity is encouraged throughout the island chain to help the undersea environment, while also providing excellent table fare. 

Whether planning a Keys dive vacation or recalling the pleasures of a previous trip, let FloridaKeysTV be your window into the region’s enthralling underwater world. Visit floridakeystv.com, find the channel on one of many popular streaming platforms, or download it free from Google Play or the Apple app store.