North Coaling Docks

Beneath the surface of Garden Key lies a ghostly forest of wooden pilings—skeletal remains of 19th-century U.S. Navy coaling warehouses destroyed by a strong hurricane, now encrusted with colorful coral and thriving with fish life. The shelter provided by these pilings and the adjacent dredged channel attract grouper, tarpon, barracudas, and occasional sharks, alongside smaller reef fish and vibrant coral. Recreational responsibility is essential here: no lifeguard is on duty, the nearest medical care is 70 miles away, and all marine life and cultural artifacts are strictly protected—maintain arm's distance from the seabed and corals at all times.