Captain Hook’s Marina and Dive Center

Captain Hook's Marina and Dive Center sits at mile marker 53 on Vaca Cut in Marathon, at a spot that has served divers and anglers for more than 60 years. Captain Hook's took it over in 2005 and has since added locations on Big Pine Key and in Key West. All three hold NOAA's Blue Star designation, the sanctuary's recognition for operators who run trips without tearing up the reef in the process.

Dive and snorkel boats head out twice a day to the reefs and wrecks off Marathon. The shop teaches certification courses, sells and repairs gear, and runs sunset cruises and boat rentals for anyone who would rather captain their own day. The bait and tackle counter keeps live shrimp daily alongside tackle and gear, and lobster season is a whole event here, mini season included.

The part worth singling out is the coral program. Working with Mote Marine Laboratory and Reef Renewal USA, they take certified divers out to the coral nurseries to learn how to clean and fragment coral, how to out plant it, and how to set anchors for future structures, with two specialty certifications available at the end. Open water certification is the only prerequisite, and more than half the fee goes back into the nursery program.

They also book fishing charters across the Keys: reef trips for yellowtail, mutton and mangrove snapper and grouper, offshore runs for mahi, tuna and wahoo, and flats days for tarpon and bonefish. Those boats belong to independent captains rather than to Captain Hook's, so the shop handles the matching and the booking. Call (305) 743-2444.