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Dive into the world's only underwater music concert and become part of the exclusive aquatic, music-loving audience.
The flight descended over Florida Keys, giving me a view of the archipelago and the turquoise sea. The Keys are islands of Florida connected by 42 bridges. Our self-drive car was soon whizzing through the sea bridges toward our destination in Lower Key. I was visiting my cousin in New York when we stumbled across the Underwater Music Festival of Florida while looking for places to explore. The festival takes place on the seabed of Looe Key Reef of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The concept was unbelievable, and the call of a musical sea made us choose Florida Keys over the mainstream Grand Canyon on the West Coast of the United States. We flew to Florida Keys a day before the festival and reserved space on a dive boat run by a Lower Keys dive operator. The festival itself was free of cost to attend. The organisers briefed everyone about Florida Keys' reef conservation and restoration efforts at a pre-festival gathering in the evening.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary shields the water habitats around Florida Keys islands and their marine inhabitants. It includes the Florida Reef, the world's third-largest coral barrier reef with living and fossilised corals. Other reef residents range from parrotfish and sea urchins to larger predators like barracudas and sharks. The sandy ocean floor, 20 feet below the ocean surface, was the last place I would have expected to attend a music festival.
Florida Reef is the last living reef of the continental U.S. Human activities have threatened many coral reefs around the world. Millions of people are unaware of the fact that they protect us from erosion and coastal storms and provide food, medicines, and local income sources. These reefs are not only an ecosystem for sea life, their protection is vital for the living human population and future generations. About 35 years ago, a few Florida Keys locals brainstormed an awareness initiative for coral reef preservation. Bill Becker, the founder of UMF, hosted a one-time underwater concert. Divers and snorkelers, who attended, were encouraged to dive responsibly. The event paired music with a powerful environmental message. It was a hit and soon became an annual aquatic songfest. While I was on the boat assembling the dive gear, the organisers broadcasted insights on how divers should not touch and harm the corals or litter the underwater world. They encouraged reef protection and minimisation of environmental impacts while still enjoying the colourful reefs of Florida Keys. And then we dived!
The Underwater Music Festival of Florida Keys had allured hundreds of music-loving divers and snorkelers. Even non-diving music enthusiasts, like my cousin, joined us on the dive boat. Looe Key Reef was not my curtain-raiser to the wonders of the underwater world. I am a PADI-certified Open Water Diver with previous dive experiences in the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand, and the Balearic Sea. But here, the colourful costumes of the underwater concert-goers competed with the vibrant sea life. The costumes ranged from swishing mermaid tails to shark suits and fish-like overalls. An ocean-themed playlist was streamed live by a Keys radio station for submerged divers and non-divers above water. Boats positioned above the reef suspended water-resistant speakers below the surface and piped these songs underwater. The submerged sound reverberated differently than overland music. Think of Yellow Submarine by The Beatles and the Titanic theme, only more ethereal. I could recognise the song and even the lyrics despite a muted tone. The music even echoed in all directions, creating a surround sound effect. While some divers descended the depths with traditional guitars and horns, some carried bizarre musical instruments created by local artist August Powers. Every year he crafts instruments with fins and tails that resemble underwater creatures. It was amusing to pretend-play some of these creative creations!
The music enhanced the underwater experience of my first dive into a marine sanctuary. Playing Humpback Whale songs turned the ambience transcendent. Although no whales came, it was still a one-of-a-kind concert with curious, colourful reef fish among the attendees. I was also glad to see the festival hosted in a shallow sandy area away from the corals. The festival's focus remains towards the protection of the delicate marine habitat. The Underwater Music Festival celebrates the reefs by promoting to protect what protects us in return. The feeling of attending the Underwater Music Festival of Florida, while being underwater, was profound and moving. The sensation lingered on even after I ascended back to the boat.
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