For nearly 40 years, Jules’ Undersea Lodge has sat at the bottom of a 30-foot deep manmade lagoon in Key Largo’s Undersea Park.
“We’ve set all of the legitimate world records for living under the water,” said habitat designer and Marine Resources Development Foundation founder Ian Koblick.
When 85-year-old Koblick designed what is now known as Jules’ Undersea Lodge back in the 1970s, the technology was considered cutting-edge. The habitat is essentially a 20-foot-wide by 50-foot-long barge; inside the barge are two cylinders that are 8 feet in diameter and 20 feet long.
“The reason it was designed like this is because when buoyant it can be towed on site to a place where it would be deployed for a mission,” said longtime Koblick friend and fellow aquanaut Mark Ward. “In this case, when it started in the ’70s, it was deployed off Puerto Rico
in 100 feet of water and scientists would stay down there for a couple of weeks.”
The 400-square-foot former research facility was moved to its Key Largo lagoon location in 1986 and transformed into a lodge, a place where divers could spend a night or several nights, surrounded by lagoon creatures, including manatees, a variety of fish species and sea horses. The lodge is only accessible by suiting up in scuba gear and diving in.
“It’s really for divers and non-divers,” said aquanaut and explorer Koblick.”You can take a little resort course for an hour or two and then an instructor will take you down,” he continued.
For almost four decades, Jules’ Undersea Lodge has hosted everyone from celebrities, to researchers, to dignitaries, to average Joes – divers from all walks of life, all fascinated by the sea and eager to spend a night below the surface.
Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau’s son Jean-Michel spent the night here; so did rocker Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fame. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin was a repeat guest, staying inside the lodge at least a half dozen times. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his father Pierre stayed in the 1990s.
“One of the things we’re trying to do is just remind people what an amazing iconic attraction this is, especially in the Keys,” said Ward. He and his fiancée, Trudie Baker, are travel consultants submerged in promoting scuba diving experiences.
Recently the couple teamed up with Koblick to help promote the undersea lodge, which although undoubtedly a local treasure, has not been getting as much attention as of late due to economic challenges post-COVID.
“We talked to Ian about trying to implement some new marketing programs and some physical improvements too to make it a little more approachable for people,” said Ward. Those physical improvements and marketing strategies are now underway.
Recently, new countertops were installed inside the lodge, along with a fresh coat of paint. It’s not an easy undertaking, considering a diver has to bring all of the supplies inside the lodge in a watertight container. And in the lagoon that houses Jules’, new fans are being used to push the silt out in an effort to improve the water clarity.
“We’re experimenting with different ways to keep it clean,” said Jardin MacDonald, general manager of Ocean First, which has partnered with Jules’ to promote diving experiences in and around the lagoon.
The Key Largo Chamber of Commerce visitor center is also helping remind visitors about the underwater lodge. A detailed replica of Jules’ has been placed inside the center at the entrance to Key Largo and new brochures explain different offerings, from spending the night
to having lunch inside the lodge.
“We get a lot of people coming through there and they’re always looking for something to do,” said Key Largo Chamber president Suzi Youngberg. Youngberg estimates some 150 to 200 people pass through the visitor center daily during the busy tourist season.
Besides going inside the lodge, the lagoon where it is located is ideal for diving 365 days a year.
“This is one of the few places in Florida where you can go and dive when you can’t go out on the reef,” said Koblick.
Koblick has spent half a century studying and protecting the ocean. The octogenarian says he will never retire. He hopes by giving others the chance to explore and learn about the ocean, more people will do their part to protect this beautiful and fragile ecosystem.
“Our ocean’s dying,” he said. “Will we be able to save it? I doubt it, I doubt it, in fact the answer is no, it’s just a matter of time, but we can slow it down a little bit if we get enough people involved.”
To visit the Key Largo Undersea Park, home to Jules’ Undersea Lodge, head over to MM 103 in Key Largo. The park is located at the end of Transylvania Avenue at 51 Shoreland Dr.
For more information on booking a stay at Jules, call 305-451-2353 or or visit www.jul.com.
