News
Lower Keys Presents Underwater Music Festival to Encourage Reef Protection
Divers and snorkelers can explore part of the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef Saturday, July 7, while rocking to a unique sub-sea concert that promotes reef protection.
The Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival takes place each year at Looe Key Reef, an area of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary about 6 miles south of Big Pine Key. The sanctuary protects the waters surrounding the entire Keys island chain.
Staged by Keys radio station US1 104.1 FM, the sea-focused songfest is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The music is designed to enhance the underwater experience for divers discovering the Keys’ diverse realm of tropical fish, coral formations and other marine life.
“The Underwater Music Festival is a way to celebrate the coral reef, and we celebrate it by looking for a balance between protection of the reef and public enjoyment,” said festival co-founder Bill Becker. “The more people realize what’s down there and enjoy it, the more they’re likely to protect it.”
Music broadcast by the radio station is piped underwater through Lubell Labs speakers suspended beneath boats above the reef. Participants can sway to an oceanic playlist that typically includes melodies like the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and the themes from “The Little Mermaid” and “Gilligan’s Island.”
Some divers wear costumes, portraying everything from mermaids to rock stars, and pretend to play underwater musical instruments such as a “baratuba” sculpted by Florida Keys artist August Powers.
The primary purpose of the annual festival is to encourage preservation of the Keys’ rich coral reef ecosystem. The broadcast incorporates diver-awareness announcements emphasizing ways to enjoy the reef while minimizing environmental impacts.
A pre-event party is set for 6 p.m. Friday, July 6, at the Tiki Bar at Looe Key Reef Resort, 27340 Overseas Highway. Attractions include appetizers, libations and a chance to learn about the Keys’ treasured reef. For costs and reservations, call 305-872-2411.
Divers and snorkelers who want to participate in the festival can reserve space on boats run by Lower Keys dive operators or launch their own boats from public ramps and marinas in the area.
Event information: lowerkeyschamber.com/festival.
Lower Keys visitor information: fla-keys.com/lowerkeys or 305-872-2411
Social: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Youtube • Keys Voices blog
Source: www.divenewswire.com
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
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