OFF-ISLAND ADVENTURES: MARATHON, BIG PINE, KEY WEST

OFF-ISLAND ADVENTURES: MARATHON, BIG PINE, KEY WEST

  Mangrove Kayaking
An opportunity to continue learning from our Marine Habitats of the Florida Keys program, this excursion
immerses students in the local mangrove communities in Marathon! The flora and fauna found in the mangrove
habitat will amaze and delight your students—from Mangrove Tree Crabs to the Upside-Down Jellyfish, you
never know what you’re going to see. Some groups are even lucky enough to be joined by manatees, nurse
sharks and a wide variety of bird species!

Pigeon Key takes care of transportation (if necessary), guide, and kayaking equipment. Kayaks are launched
from nearby Sombrero Beach and all you have to do is enjoy the scenic views and paddle! Our staff have
several years of teaching experience, so it is not necessary to be an expert paddler before signing up for this
adventure. Many groups find that this excursion is also an exercise in team building and bonding! Most of the
kayaks available for the students are tandem (2-person) so learning to work together and relying on your
partner can be a challenge. Kayak trips are a full morning or afternoon on your itinerary and start at $45 per
person.

  Aquarium Encounters
This attraction in Marathon boasts large aquariums with expansive viewing windows, a natural canal area, and
invertebrate and ray touch tanks. Aquarium Encounters provides the hands-on opportunities of our Invertebrate
Biodiversity program with a guided tour to all the major attractions in the facility, a question & answer session,
and access to all the touch tanks. Shark, Ray, and tropical fish feedings are conducted daily! Visits start at $25
per person and typically last 1-2 hours. However, the duration and cost of your visit can increase if you choose
to add “Encounters” to your experience.

Turtle Hospital

Are your students interested in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation? Are they fans of sea turtles? Then add a visit
to The Turtle Hospital in Marathon! Each tour is led by a friendly and knowledgeable staff member of the Turtle
Hospital and includes an informational presentation (in an air-conditioned room) followed by a walking tour of
the facility. If you are lucky enough to visit during a live surgery, the facility has large viewing windows to
observe the procedure. Their surgery schedule varies based on the needs of the patients, so it is difficult to
guarantee that a surgery will take place during your tour. Students get to meet the “patients”, learn about on-
going rescue and rehabilitation efforts, and current research in the field. The Turtle Hospital staff engages the
audience throughout the entire walking tour and encourage all questions. A visit to the Turtle Hospital takes
between 1-2 hours and starts at $22 per person.

 The Dolphin Research Center

Everyone loves the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin! The Dolphin Research Center provides an opportunity to
explore a successful captive breeding facility while showing off these charismatic marine mammals. Tours
include question & answer sessions with members of the DRC educational staff, a variety of regularly
scheduled programs about training, breeding, and even performances to music! They also have sea lions,
exotic birds and iguanas. The DRC also offers behind-the-scenes tours and Dolphin Encounters, which can
vary from swimming with dolphins to having a t-shirt painted by a dolphin! For any marine mammal lover, this is
a must-add to your trip! A visit to the Dolphin Research Center can last from 1-4 hours and starts at $30 per
person depending on your level of involvement.

Looe Key Snorkel

Looe Key Reef is located off of Big Pine Key about 30 minutes south of Pigeon Key. It is a great addition to
Sombrero Reef, the snorkel location included with your trip to Pigeon Key. Part of the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary, Looe Key is an exceptional example of a spur and groove reef. Slightly deeper than
Sombrero Reef, many groups that visit Looe Key have the opportunity to swim with larger species like Reef
Sharks and 400lb Goliath Groupers which are rare at Sombrero Reef! Trip to Looe Key start at $47 per person
and usually depart Pigeon Key around 7:30am and return around 1:30pm. Many groups choose to couple this
activity with a trip to Sombrero Beach (see next page for details) and return to the island around 4:00pm.

  Sombrero Beach Trip and Service Project

Because of the 3rd largest barrier coral reef that runs along the Florida Keys, ocean waves are unable to
accumulate enough sand to establish many large beaches in the island chain. However, the beach of the Florida
Keys is Sombrero Beach! Famous for its long stretches of white sand, a rarity in the keys, a trip to this beach in
Marathon is sure to delight your students. After a quick lesson on the hazards of Marine Debris, students are
divided into teams and conduct a beach clean-up. Once completed, students are free to enjoy the sand and the
waves, and many groups elect to bring a picnic lunch (provided by Pigeon Key). Groups can spend anywhere
from an hour to half a day at Sombrero Beach and typically couple their visit with another off-island activity. This
trip starts at $10 per person.

Key West Aquarium

Located in Key West’s famous Mallory Square, The Key West Aquarium is a unique indoor/outdoor facility
home to many species of native fish, sharks, and rays. Aquarium staff lead you and your students on a guided
tour of the facility while answering any questions you may have. The tour culminates with a nurse shark
feeding! Many groups choose to couple this activity with other Key West adventures on a single-day visit. The
Key West Aquarium excursion can last 1-3 hours and starts at $20 per person.

 Key West Snorkel

Also part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Key West reefs are considerably shallower than
Sombrero Reef and Looe Key. Because of its location, these reefs occasionally see different species of fish
than the Middle Keys. Triggerfish and Sea Turtles are common sights, as well as nurse sharks and lobsters!
Comparing Key West reefs, which receives much higher tourist and boat traffic, to the reefs in the Middle Keys
is always an interesting topic of discussion for students interested in Conservation Biology. Many groups elect
to add to their day of snorkeling in the Southernmost island, a dinner out at one of Key Wests famous
restaurants followed by the Mallory Square Sunset Festival. Snorkel trips start at $50 per person and usually
last around 3 hours.

Key West Shipwreck Museum

The Key West Shipwreck Museum, located in Mallory Square, combines actors, films, and real treasure to tell
the story of shipwreck salvage in the Florida Keys. Your students will be taken back to the 1800s and immersed
in the riches of shipwrecking in the wealthiest city per capita in the United States at that time. A tour of to the
Shipwreck Museum is not complete without climbing the 65-foot wrecking tower which gives an amazing 360-
degree view of Key West! Visits to the Shipwreck Museum start at $10 per person and last 1-2 hours. Groups
typically pair this adventure with other attractions in Key West.

  The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
The Hemingway Home and Museum located in the heart of Key West was once the residence of the famous
author Ernest Hemingway. If your students have read any Hemingway in school this is a must see! You and
your students will be led on a guided tour of this historic landmark and learn all about what influenced
Hemingway’s famous works. A common sight during your visit will be the 56 cats lounging around all with 6
toes! A visit to the Hemingway Home and Museum starts at $16 per person and last 1-2 hours. Groups usually
pair this activity with other Key West attractions.

For over 20 years, the Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center has provided private,
  customized programs to more than 30,000 participants from more than 1,000 schools throughout
      the world. Programs are tailored to fit all ages from elementary school to post graduate.

Off-island excursions are perfect for an adventurous group! Most of these excursions are available for
    all over-night trips, but cater to groups staying for more than 2-nights. Rates per participant will
increase based on the length of stay and for each off-island adventure added to your groups itinerary.
        With so many local attractions to choose from, no two education trips are ever the same!

           3-day/2-night trips starting at
               $400 per participant

     COVID-19 Protocols: All                                                    Questions?
      trips are based off of local,                                       Contact Education Director
    state and CDC guidelines with                                         Casey Howley-Brigham
                                                                            Casey@PigeonKey.net
           outdoor activities.