Christ of the Deep

The Statue of Christ in the Deep is now covered in coral. Photo Courtesy of David R. Molzof.

The Christ of the Deep is a 9 foot bronze statue weighing in at 4000 pounds. The statue sits on a concrete pedestal at a depth of approximately 25 feet. It is a duplicate of ‘Il Cristo Degli Abissi’, the work of the Italian Sculptor Guido Galletti, which stands in the waters off San Fruttuoso in the Mediterranean Sea. The story goes that both statues face one another. In 1961, seven years after the creation of the original statue, the European industrialist and diving equipment manufacturer Egidi Cressi commissioned a second figure of Christ. It was cast from the same mold and donated to the Underwater Society of America. It was decided to place the statue off the Florida Keys in 1965 near Dry Rocks in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Key Largo Dry Rocks is not only home to the Christ of the Deep Statue but also has superbe specimens of brain coral. The eastern side of the reef is shaped in coral fingers which are rich in marine life. You can see a multitude of fish including the rare Townsend Angelfish. The Townsend Angelfish is the result of interbreeding between the Queen and Blue Angelfish. This makes it an ideal location not only for scuba divers but snorkelers alike.

Most people that come to dive with us have heard of the Christ of the Deep but not many know its history. We go every Monday and Friday afternoon. Our charters leave the dock at 1 pm and check-in is at 12:30 pm. Due to it being a little further out, we tend to come back to dock around 5:30 pm. Come and join us and share this amazing site. You will not be disappointed!