Live Cam in The Lower Keys

Most webcams look at the sea. This one looks into it. Streaming from beneath the surface in the Lower Florida Keys, the camera sits in the clear, sunlit water of Monroe County, close to the San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park, and turns an ordinary screen into a porthole.

The cast changes by the minute. Schools of small fish drift through the frame, then scatter when something larger appears. Keep watching and you may be rewarded with a Goliath grouper, a heavyweight of the reef that moves with surprising calm, or one of the several species of sharks that patrol these waters. Light filters down in shifting ribbons, and on bright days the whole scene glows turquoise; when clouds roll over, the water turns moody and blue-grey.

Tips for watching

• Daylight hours give the clearest picture.
• Be patient: long quiet spells often end with a sudden visitor.
• Watch the edges of the frame, where larger fish tend to cruise.

It is an easy way to spend a few minutes underwater without getting wet, and a reminder of how much life the Keys hide just below the waves. The stream is brought to you by Viva The Keys.