Old St. Nick took his annual holiday plunge in the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary over the weekend, where 76-degree weather and streams of sunshine made for ideal holiday diving conditions.
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Talk about a Merry merger! Spencer Slate, dressed as Santa Claus, and Donna Whitney as Mrs. Mermaid Claus glide over Pleasure Reef Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, proving that even St. Nick needs a tropical getaway before the big night. (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Frazier Nivens
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Talk about a Merry merger! Spencer Slate, dressed as Santa Claus, and Donna Whitney as Mrs. Mermaid Claus glide over Pleasure Reef Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, proving that even St. Nick needs a tropical getaway before the big night. (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Frazier Nivens
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Ho-Ho-Whoa! A giant green moray eel appears to share its Christmas wish list with Spencer Slate, dressed as Santa Claus, during an underwater dive Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at Pleasure Reef off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Slate, the owner of Captain Slate's Scuba Adventures, has been bringing holiday cheer to the underwater residents of the Florida Keys reef for 35 years. (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Frazier Nivens
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When Santa talks, even these underwater inhabitants listen! They shared their wish lists with Spencer Slate, dressed as Santa Claus, during his visit to Pleasure Reef off Key Largo on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. The curious crowd included Peanut, a Goliath grouper, and a giant green moray eel who both seemed to be on their best behavior during Santa’s special holiday visitor to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Frazier Nivens
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Gliding through a school of fish, Spencer Slate, dressed as Santa Claus, brings some much-needed holiday cheer to underwater inhabitants in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Slate took the plunge on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at Pleasure Reef off Key Largo making his annual holiday rounds on the reef. (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Frazier Nivens
Played by Florida Key’s dive shop operator Spencer Slate, Santa brought along his trusted underwater elves and a festively dressed mermaid to mingle with some very curious marine life at Pleasure Reef off Key Largo.
So, who was naughty and who was nice? Apparently word spreads fast underwater when Santa's checking his list. And these Florida Keys' underwater occupants seemed more than eager to tell Santa their highs and lows as schools of fish and other marine life swam alongside the festive divers throughout their underwater adventure.
Among the residents getting into the holiday spirit were a giant green moray eel that appeared to be whispering its very detailed Christmas list to Santa. A curious shark, and a Goliath grouper named ‘Peanut,’ who was large enough to pull Santa's sleigh if his reindeer ever went on strike.
Slate, who owns Captain Slate's Scuba Adventures, has been bringing holiday cheer to the underwater residents of the Florida Keys reef for 35 years, offering dive charter customers the chance to capture unique underwater holiday photos beneath the waves.
His underwater holiday tradition has become as much a part of the Florida Keys as the sanctuary itself, which also marks its 35th anniversary this year protecting North America's only living coral barrier reef and the waters surrounding the island chain
