There’s a whole world beneath the waters of the Florida Keys, and one Key West business owner has made it his mission to help you discover it.
When you think about Key West, what comes to mind?
Sunsets at Mallory Square? A cold drink on Duval Street? Maybe a beautiful day out on the water?
But what if I told you there’s another side of Key West, one filled with living coral, colorful fish, fascinating little sea creatures, and a man who once spent his nights making snow on a mountain in West Virginia?
Yes, snow.
I recently sat down with Jamie Edelman, owner of The Underwater Gardener in Key West, and I quickly discovered that his story is about much more than fish tanks and coral.
It’s about following your curiosity, taking chances, and building a life around something you love.
And there’s a pretty cool place in Key West where you can see that passion for yourself.
From the Mountains of West Virginia to the Waters of Key West
Now, this part of Jamie’s story caught my attention immediately.
Before he was growing coral in the Florida Keys, Jamie was working at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia.
And since I live in West Virginia, I had to ask the obvious question.
How in the world do you go from making snow in West Virginia to growing coral in Key West?
Turns out, Jamie has never been someone who follows a particularly straight path.
Originally from New Jersey, Jamie moved to Florida as a teenager and eventually studied horticulture and landscape design. He spent about 15 years running his own landscaping business in West Palm Beach.
But he wanted something different.
He headed to Washington, D.C., to pursue his Master Naturalist certification and found himself spending more and more time exploring rivers and streams throughout the Appalachian Mountains.
Eventually, those adventures brought him to West Virginia.
And he fell in love with it.
Jamie told me about camping along the Cranberry River in May, where the water was an incredible shade of blue and snow was actually falling.
That’s when he knew he wanted to find a way to live there.
He eventually landed at Snowshoe Mountain, first working as a fly-fishing guide and then taking a job making snow.
Imagine working 12-hour shifts in the middle of the night, hiking up and down mountains, knocking ice off snowmaking equipment.
Jamie loved it.
He loved the mountains, the stars, the people, and the sense of community that comes from living somewhere so remote.
He eventually moved into mountain operations management and said he might never have left if COVID hadn’t changed everything.
But when it was time to return to Florida, there was really only one place he wanted to go.
The Florida Keys.
A Love Affair With the Underwater World
Jamie’s fascination with the ocean started long before he opened The Underwater Gardener.
He first visited the Keys as a teenager and earned his scuba certification at 16.
But scuba diving was expensive, especially for a teenager.
So what did he do?
He pulled out the Yellow Pages and started calling dive boat operators, looking for work.
One captain told him to show up the next morning at 6:30.
And that was the beginning of an adventure that would shape the rest of his life.
Jamie spent years exploring the underwater world. He was fascinated by the fish, coral, and other marine creatures he encountered.
He even started bringing specimens home to his aquarium, learning how to care for them and, in many cases, eventually releasing them.
Something about life beneath the surface captured his imagination.
He also told me that, at around 18, he read David Sloan’s book How to Quit Your Job and Move to Key West.
The timing wasn’t right then, but the dream never really went away.
Years later, he finally made the move.
And he brought his passion for the underwater world with him.
What Exactly Is an Underwater Gardener?
When Jamie told me he operated a coral farm, I had to stop him.
Because, quite frankly, I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.
A coral farm?
Do you plant it? Water it? How does that work?
Well, it turns out that growing coral has quite a bit in common with gardening on land.
Jamie explained that much of his business involves aquaculture, growing and propagating coral rather than continually removing new specimens from natural reefs.
He takes small fragments of coral, carefully attaches them to special bases, and grows them into new colonies.
This process is known as fragging.
One small clipping can eventually produce numerous new coral fragments.
And the fascinating part is that Jamie’s background in landscaping prepared him for this work.
Whether you’re growing plants or coral, you need to understand lighting, water chemistry, growing conditions, and how to maintain a healthy environment.
He has coral-growing systems at his Key West shop and outdoors at his home on Sugarloaf Key.
In fact, he told me the coral he grows outdoors can grow considerably faster than coral raised indoors.
Who knew?
And while The Underwater Gardener sells coral, marine fish, and aquarium supplies, it also provides custom aquarium installations and ongoing maintenance.
But there’s another part of Jamie’s business that’s especially interesting.
He goes out onto the waters of the Florida Keys to collect permitted marine life, including fish, anemones, and other fascinating creatures.
His goal is to combine that work with education, helping people understand the animals and habitats that make the underwater world so special.
A Hidden Gem in Key West You Can Visit for Free
Here’s where this story gets especially fun if you’re planning a trip to Key West.
You can actually visit The Underwater Gardener. And you don’t have to buy anything.
Jamie’s shop is located along North Roosevelt Boulevard, tucked into the Overseas Market plaza near Five Guys.
Look for the blue lights.
Inside, you’ll find beautiful aquariums filled with colorful coral, tropical fish, anemones, and all kinds of fascinating marine creatures.
Jamie has created several display tanks so you can see different types of underwater environments.
Some showcase colorful reef-building coral. Others feature the marine life found right here in the Florida Keys.
And the best part?
You’re welcome to wander, ask questions, and simply enjoy looking.
Jamie told me that some visitors stay for an hour or more, fascinated by everything happening inside the tanks.
His team includes people with marine biology backgrounds who enjoy explaining what you’re seeing.
So even if you’ve never owned an aquarium or don’t know the first thing about coral, don’t let that stop you.
This isn’t just a shop for aquarium enthusiasts.
It’s an opportunity to discover a side of Key West that most visitors never see.
And if you’re looking for something different to do, especially on a rainy day, this is one to add to your list.
The Part of Our Conversation That Really Stayed With Me
As much as I enjoyed hearing about Jamie’s journey and his business, there was another part of our conversation that made me think.
We started talking about the coral reefs surrounding the Florida Keys.
Jamie has been exploring these waters since he was a teenager, and he remembers a very different underwater landscape.
He told me that when people visit the Keys today and see the beautiful water, fish, and reefs, they often think everything looks amazing.
And in many ways, it does.
But what they don’t realize is how much has changed.
“But it’s not the same as it was when I was growing up.”
Jamie explained how some of the coral species that once formed the foundation of the reefs, including elkhorn and staghorn coral, have suffered tremendous losses.
He described looking at photographs of the same reef locations taken decades apart and seeing the changes.
For someone who loves the ocean as much as Jamie does, those changes are personal.
And that’s one of the reasons he’s so passionate about teaching people what they’re actually looking at beneath the surface.
Because it’s hard to care about something if you don’t know it exists.
There’s Hope for the Florida Keys Coral Reefs
The good news is that people are working to restore these important underwater habitats.
NOAA and its partners are leading an ambitious restoration effort called Mission: Iconic Reefs, focused on restoring seven significant reef sites in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Scientists, conservation organizations, divers, and volunteers are working to grow and transplant coral, monitor reef health, and help damaged areas recover.
And you don’t have to be a marine biologist to get involved.
Jamie shared that some organizations offer opportunities for trained volunteer divers to participate in coral restoration activities.
He also encourages people to learn about the marine environment and support organizations working to protect it.
You can learn more about these efforts through the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
And if you’d like to explore the underwater world without even leaving home, Jamie recommends checking out the Coral City Camera from Coral Morphologic.
It’s a live underwater camera in Miami where you can watch fish, sharks, eels, and other sea creatures going about their day.
You never know what might swim into view.
A Little More Than Just a Business
One of my favorite questions to ask the people I interview is what they wish others understood about the work they do.
Jamie’s answer was particularly revealing.
He told me The Underwater Gardener is a labor of love.
It’s a business that requires long hours, considerable investment, and a lot of hands-on care.
He’s spent nights working in the shop until three or four in the morning and has even watched the sunrise from inside the building.
But what really matters to him is sharing the experience.
He wants people to walk through his doors, discover something they’ve never seen before, and leave with a greater appreciation for the underwater world.
I love that.
Because to me, those are the businesses that make Key West special.
Not just the things they sell, but the people behind them and the stories that brought them here.
Plan a Visit to The Underwater Gardener
If you’re heading to Key West, here’s what you need to know.
The Underwater Gardener
- Address: 2816 North Roosevelt Boulevard, Suite 1, Key West, FL 33040
- Location: Overseas Market plaza, next to Five Guys
- Admission: Free to visit and explore the display tanks
- Wednesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday: Noon to 5 p.m.
- Monday and Tuesday: Closed
- Website: https://theunderwatergardener.com
Be sure to check the business’s website for current hours before visiting.
You don’t need an aquarium, and you don’t have to make a purchase.
Just bring your curiosity.
And if you happen to fall in love with a particular coral for your home aquarium, Jamie’s team can help arrange shipping.
Want to Explore More of Key West’s Underwater World?
After talking with Jamie, I was reminded just how much of the Florida Keys exists beyond what we can see from shore.
And you don’t necessarily have to be an experienced swimmer or diver to enjoy it.
You might take a snorkeling excursion, enjoy a glass-bottom boat tour, or head out on the water for a completely different perspective of the island.
I’ve pulled together some fun ways to explore the water around Key West, from snorkeling trips to sunset sails and other water adventures.
Explore Key West Water Activities
There’s Always Another Side of Key West to Discover
I’ve always believed that one of the best ways to experience Key West is to get to know the people who make this island what it is.
And Jamie is a perfect example.
From a landscape business in West Palm Beach to making snow in the mountains of West Virginia, and finally building a coral farm in the Florida Keys, his journey certainly hasn’t followed a straight line.
But listening to him tell his story, it all makes sense.
He’s always been drawn to the natural world.
He just traded snow-covered mountains for coral-covered rocks.
So the next time you’re driving along North Roosevelt Boulevard, keep an eye out for those blue lights.
Stop in, say hello, and take a look at the incredible world Jamie has created.
You might discover a whole new side of Key West.
And isn’t that part of the fun?
