The History of Diving Museum’s next “Immerse Yourself!” lecture will look at the efforts to preserve the iconic Alligator Reef Lighthouse.
The lecture, by Capt. Rob Dixon, will be on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. Dixon is a longtime boat operator and open-water swimmer based in Islamorada. He is also one of the leading voices in efforts to preserve the lighthouse.
Alligator Reef Lighthouse is named for the U.S. Navy schooner Alligator, which was launched in 1820 to suppress the slave trade as well as pirate activity. The schooner ran aground on what is now known as Alligator Reef in 1822. The lighthouse was established on that reef in 1873, standing 136 feet above the water.
Construction costs at the time were $185,000. In 2021, under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the lighthouse was deeded to Friends of the Pool Inc., a nonprofit, of which Dixon is executive director.
Those interested in attending in person can reserve a seat by calling the museum at 305-664-9737 or emailing the community outreach team at programs@divingmuseum.org. For those unable to attend in person, visit DivingMuseum.org for a virtual Zoom link. This session will also be recorded and posted to the HDM YouTube channel. This month’s lecture sponsor is the Surgery Center.
