Unmanned reef lights of the Florida Keys, Navigational beacons in Florida Keys, United States.
The Unmanned Reef Lights of the Florida Keys are automated navigation towers built on screw-pile foundations in the shallow waters and reefs of the Keys. They mark submerged hazards and guide vessels through the channels and reef passages of this stretch of coastline.
The first of these towers was built in 1921, with more added through 1935 to handle growing maritime traffic in the region. They were a direct response to the frequent shipwrecks that had long made these waters dangerous.
The towers are a familiar sight for anyone traveling by boat through the Keys and are seen as landmarks of these waterways. Fishermen and sailors still use them as reference points, even though modern navigation tools are now common.
The towers stand on remote reefs and are not open to the public, so the best way to see them is from a boat or with binoculars from a distance. Many serve as nesting sites for birds, so keeping a respectful distance is always a good idea.
Each tower was given a distinct geometric shape, such as square, triangular, or hexagonal, so that captains could identify different reefs by shape alone. This system was standardized by 1932 and worked as a kind of visual alphabet for navigating these waters.
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