Christ of the Abyss: How to See Key Largo's Famous Underwater Statue

Twenty-five feet under the surface off Key Largo, an 8.5-foot bronze figure stands on the sand with arms raised toward the light. Christ of the Abyss — Il Cristo degli Abissi — is probably the most photographed underwater site in the United States, and it lives inside John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a short boat ride from the Key Largo docks.

The story

The original statue was cast by Italian sculptor Guido Galletti and lowered into the Mediterranean off Portofino in 1954, as a memorial to a diver who died there. A third casting from the same mold was donated to the Underwater Society of America, and in 1965 it was placed on the sand near Dry Rocks reef off Key Largo. It has stood there for sixty years — colonized by coral, ringed by fish, visited by generations of snorkelers and divers.

The statue rises from a cement base in about 25 feet of clear, protected water. On a good visibility day you can see it comfortably from the surface — the raised arms reach to roughly 10 feet below.

How to see it

Snorkeling is the classic way. Reef trips like our Key Largo snorkeling adventure visit the statue when weather and sea conditions allow — it's a shallow, beginner-friendly site, and floating above the outstretched arms is the photo everyone comes for. Conditions decide the day's route, so no operator can guarantee the statue on a given departure; if seeing it is your priority, go on a calm-forecast day and tell the crew.

Diving gets you eye level. Local dive shops run two-tank trips that pair Dry Rocks with a second reef; it's one of the easiest 'famous' dives anywhere, at a depth open-water beginners can handle.

Glass-bottom boat trips cover the reef without anyone getting wet — a favorite for families and non-swimmers. Read our glass-bottom boat guide for how those trips run and what routes they cover.

When to go

Visibility is the whole game. Calm, low-wind days — common in early morning, and statistically better from late spring through summer — turn the site into an aquarium. After a windy front, the same spot can be a green haze. Morning departures usually get the calmest water; more on seasons in our best time to visit Key Largo guide.

Practical notes

The statue sits in a protected sanctuary zone: look, photograph, but don't stand on the base or touch the coral around it. Reef-safe sunscreen only. And bring a float strap for your phone or a cheap underwater camera — this is the one place in the Keys where you will absolutely regret not having one.

Coming from Miami without a car? The Bayside Marketplace day trip puts you on the island with time to pair a statue trip with lunch at a waterfront fish house — the full plan is in our one-day itinerary.