Christ of the Abyss
A nine-foot bronze statue of Jesus, arms raised, standing on the ocean floor in 25 feet of water off Key Largo. He has been there since 1965.
The original Christ of the Abyss was placed in the Mediterranean off Genoa in 1954. The Florida version — a casting of the original — was placed in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in 1965 by the Underwater Society of America. It stands in 25 feet of water, arms raised toward the surface, surrounded by coral and fish.
The statue is in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park at MM 102.5 in Key Largo. Snorkel and dive tours run daily from the park's dive shop. The statue is accessible to snorkelers — it's shallow enough to see clearly from the surface. Glass-bottom boat tours also pass over it.
The statue has been moved twice due to hurricane damage and coral growth. It has accumulated barnacles, coral, and decades of marine life. The face is serene. The effect, underwater, with light filtering down from the surface, is genuinely affecting regardless of your religious views.