Snorkeling Peanut Island's coral reef

Six GO members, Jerry, Bob, Killian, Roland, Matthew, and Carlos; and Cindy an invited guest, spent a very hot South Florida summer day snorkeling in the cool waters of Palm Beach's Peanut Island.  This island was made famous during the Cold War when a bunker/fallout shelter was secretely built in the 1960's to safeguard then President Kennedy, who used to vacation frequently in nearby Palm Beach.  The island went into disuse and being in a prime spot for development, it was in danger of being lost to high rise condominiums.  However, thanks to its historic bunker, it was preserved, and eventually Palm Beach County developed it and turned it into a very popular county park.  The county turned the old bunker into a museum, and it restored wetlands on much of the island.  It has great beaches for swimming, a camping site, and most importantly for out GO outing, the county also created a fairly extensive artificial reef on the side of the island facing the great mansions on Palm Beach island.  A whole array of tropical fish found this reef quite hospitable, and have turned it into an underwater marvel.  Checking the tide charts, this GO trip was ideally timed to coincide with high tide.  This not only allowed for higher water, which made it easier to swim, but it also made for high visibility, and the GO participants were not disappointed with the sights.  The reefs were full of all sorts of tropical fish, including a school of yellowtail snapper, and the occasional solitary barracuda.  The water was so refreshing, that a group of us just simply sat on the shallow end, after snorkeling, and socialized for hours, until we all turned into proverbial "prunes."  Peanut island is only accessible by boat, so as lunch time arrived, we all took the water taxi back to the mainland and a great lunch at the always popular Tiki Bar/Restaurant on the Riviera Beach marina.  The restaurant, we sadly found out, will soon close its doors forever.  The reef, however, will still be there for years to come, allowing for future GO trips to this underwater jewel, ideally set within the great urban area that is South Florida.

Peanut Island was made famous during the Cold War when it was turned into a Fallout shelter/bunker for President John F. Kennedy, who used to spend time in the Kennedy compound in nearby Palm Beach.  The bunker is now a museum, and the island has been turned into a very popular county park.  It features a coral reef that is ideal for snorkeling, especially at high tide.  The island is only accessible by boat, so we will be taking Captain Joe's Water Taxi ($10 round trip), at the earliest possible time (first boat leaves at 9:00 a.m.) in order to fully enjoy the 9:35 a.m. high tide.  You will need to bring your own snorkeling gear (mask, and flippers, mainly).  You should also bring a beach towel, water, snacks, sunscreen lotion, and a change of clothes if needed.  The water taxi allows three personal items as carry-on, plus a small cooler, per person, so try to fit everything into a daypack in order to make it easier to access the island.  The snorkeling trail is very well protected and close to shore, so even inexperienced snorkelers should be able to enjoy it.  The beaches on the island are also ideal for sunbathing.  Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the water taxi, so if you do bring a cooler, fill it up with non-alcoholic beverages only.