Santa Claus spotted diving off Key Largo to spread Christmas cheer to marine life and scuba divers
KEY LARGO, Fla. — A scuba diving Santa Claus was spotted in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary enjoying some relaxation with an elfish helper before the upcoming holidays.
Thursday, Jolly St. Nick delivered a bit of seasonal cheer to the marine inhabitants and scuba divers in the sanctuary off Key Largo.
Spencer Slate, owner of Captain Slate's Scuba Adventures, dons his Kris Kringle garb annually to offer underwater holiday photo opportunities for his dive charter customers.
During his subsea excursion near an aptly named area known as Pleasure Reef, "Santa" encountered schools of fish and other marine life that seemed quite comfortable with the merry crew throughout the dive.
For over 30 years the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has protected the continental United States' only contiguous coral barrier reef and the waters surrounding the Florida Keys island chain.
