Biscayne National Park, Florida
Photo Credit: Catholic 85, GNU Free Documentation License
Biscayne National Park is a national park in southern Florida. The park preserves Biscayne Bay, one of the top scuba diving spots in the United States. Ninety-five percent of Biscayne National Park is located in the sea. Also included in the national park is the shoreline of the bay which is covered by an extensive mangrove forest.
Biscayne National Park covers an area of 207 sq miles (700 sq km). It was established as Biscayne National Monument on 18 October, 1968, and promoted to National Park on 28 June, 1980.
The park's largest island, Elliott Key, is considered the first of the true Florida Keys being formed from coral reef. The islands farther north in the park are transitional islands of coral and sand. Scuba diving and snorkeling in the coral reef inside the bay are the main attractions of this national park. Tourists can also take a glass-bottom boat tour of the bay, or rent kayaks to explore the bay and the islands of Florida Keys in it. The historic homes of Stiltsville is currently not open by casual visitors but may be viewed from afar from boats.
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