Things to Do in Florida

Spend a day cruising around the briny blue in a variety of specialized watercrafts. Each is equipped with GPS and Sirius satellite radio, devices that will periodically gain self-awareness and argue with each other. This will keep you on track on an oceanic highway with no roads, while occupying your ears with noises other than seductive sirens and dolphin clicks. The radios are iPod ready, enabling you to provide your own soundtrack if the one beaming from outer space is too alien. PonTunes provides life jackets for everyone except minors, so either remember to bring preservers for your kids, or conveniently forget to bring your kids.

Like all dolphins, Elvis loves to chase fish, leap into the air, and paint abstract-expressionist artwork. He does, however, need a human to hand him a brush, which is where the Painting with Dolphins program comes in. This is just one of the initiatives at Dolphin Cove that reveals these marine mammals' fascinating behaviors. In a natural lagoon, trainers facilitate human-dolphin relations through encounters such as swimming with, snorkeling beside, or rubbing the belly of Elvis and his cohorts. The dolphins may also regale guests with antics such as sharing their favorite toys or showing off a new behavior. Dolphin Cove's additional services include the Trainer for a Day program and a live webcam, which was an idea Elvis brought from his background in IT.

Keys Skis and Adventures' fleet of wave runners speed across the water's surface, sending plumes of liquid into the air as riders uncover some of the area's most scenic destinations. On semiprivate tours, the personal watercraft coast along local canals, open waters, and mangroves. The Key Largo area sets the stage for these aquatic adventures, granting easy access to the Atlantic Ocean. Local wildlife such as manatees, dolphins, and aquatic birds make appearances in these areas, although they rarely sign autographs.

To take in national parks, sightseers must usually backpack, hike, or drive on endless two-lane roads. It's not every day you can glide over the park in a luxurious yacht, but that's exactly what the Key Largo Princess does. Aboard the 70-foot glass-bottom yacht, sightseers gaze down upon the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the only underwater state park in the United States and the only park to get Smokey the Bear's unconditional safety approval. Along the way, the yacht sails over the cerulean swells of the Atlantic, offering panoramic views of the Florida Keys. When they're not oohing and aahing over bright tropical fish and an abundance of living coral, passengers can feel the breeze on the deck or relax in the air-conditioned indoor salon with a snack from the sandwich bar.

The towering sails of the Quicksilver rise like a snowy mountain over the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, cutting a picturesque figure amid the early morning sky. The tranquility of this postcard-worthy scene is interrupted by the whoop of a lone figure running and jumping off of the catamaran, her body plunging into the waters with an ebullient splash. This bold leap prompts her fellow snorkelers to follow suit with hapless hurdles and controlled submersions into the water. Champions of introducing visitors to Florida's awe-inspiring reefs and the diverse wildlife therein, Reef Roamer Catamaran's guides lead guests through the secrets of the salty depths with daily snorkeling adventures in and around John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Setting sail on one of two 50-foot, custom-built catamarans equipped with on-board bathrooms, trampolines, and shaded cockpits, Reef Roamer's US Coast Guard master captains and first mates pilot groups of aquanauts out to open waters for early morning, midday, and sunset snorkeling sessions. Once stationed at the snorkeling site, passengers shimmy into the waters for snorkeling instruction to ensure that swimmers of all ages and skill levels learn which strokes are most efficient and how to tell which fish grant wishes. Sojourns under the sea afford guests resplendent views of protected reefs teaming with multicolored citizens such as about 55 types of coral, more than 600 species of fish, and graceful turtles.