Virginia Key

Virginia Key, Florida is an island lying in Biscayne Bay between Key Biscayne and Miami. It can be reached by car only by driving across the Rickenbacker Causeway toll road from Miami and is the site of a large municipal wastewater treatment plant. Virginia Key is also home to the Miami Seaquarium, the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine Science, the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Crandon Marina, Hobie Beach, and several restaurants; including Bayside, Rusty Pelican, Sundays on the Bay, and Jimbo’s.

History

William Roberts, in his First Discovery and Natural History of Florida (1763) wrote: "To the north hereof (Cayo de Biscayno) lies the small island of Cayo Ratones, about four miles in length, on which there is an Indian town, called Pueblo Ratones, which is the only settlement of Indians that we have any account of on the Martyres."

In the summer of 1945, a group of black men led by Judge Lawson E. Thomas staged a protest at a North Miami whites-only beach against the segregation laws that prohibited black persons from using the public beaches of Miami and Dade County. In response to the protest, county officials created a public beach for the black community on Virginia Key, which opened on August 1, 1945.

The beach at Virginia Key had been used by African Americans for at least the two previous decades. During World War II, the Navy used Virginia Key Beach for training African American servicemen who were not permitted to train in the waters along the “whites-only” beaches. It was not until 1945, however, that the county began building recreational facilities there and making the beach more accessible by providing ferry boat service until the completion of the Rickenbacker Causeway in 1949 allowed access by automobile.

Virginia Key Beach Park had bathhouses, picnic pavilions, a concession stand, and a carousel and other amenities. The beach remained segregated through the 1950’s, until civil rights laws opened all the public beaches in the area. Still, through the next two decades, Virginia Key Beach remained a popular destination for many in the black community. In 1982, the area was transferred from the county to the City of Miami with the stipulation that the area be kept open and maintained as a public park and recreation area. However, the city closed Virginia Key Beach Park shortly after the transfer, citing the high cost of maintenance and operations. After nearly 20 years of non-use, the bathhouse, concessions building and other facilities have fallen into disrepair.

Miami Marine Stadium located in the center of the strip of land northeast of the Rickenbacker Causeway, was built in 1963 by the city. It was used to watch boat races, concerts and fireworks displays before closing in 1992 after being damaged by Hurricane Andrew. The structure is now abandoned and graffiti-covered.

Special features

The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) is one of the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Facilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA/AOML is a part of the US Department of Commerce (DOC) and is located in Miami, Florida. AOML's mission is to conduct basic and applied research in oceanography, tropical meteorology, atmospheric and oceanic chemistry, and acoustics. The research seeks to understand the physical characteristics and processes of the ocean and the atmosphere, both separately and as a coupled system.

Along the causeway onto Virginia Key is a long strip of bay front popular with windsurfers and sailors, called Hobie Beach after the Hobie Cats that set sail from the shore. It's also the only Miami-area beach that allows dogs. Nearby rest rooms and a great view of the curving shoreline make this an ideal place for tailgate parties.

The Miami Seaquarium is a marine park on Virginia Key that has one of the world's largest collections of marine animals; some 10,000 specimens. Open in 1955, the 38 acre (150,000 m²) park provides marine life exhibits and several daily marine mammal shows. It is famous for its captive orcas, dolphins, and sea lions. Manatee and shark exhibits are also present.

The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, founded by F.G. Walton Smith, is the University of Miami's graduate school of marine and atmospheric science. Dr. Otis Brown is the Dean of the Rosenstiel School. Located on a 16 acre (65,000 m²) campus on Virginia Key in Miami, it is the only subtropical applied and basic marine and atmospheric research institute of its kind in the continental United States. The Rosenstiel School conducts a broad range of research on local, regional, national and global levels. More than 100 Ph.D. faculty members, 150 graduate students and a research support and administrative staff of 250 comprise the academic community.

The Maritime and Science Technology (MAST) Academy public magnet school is located on Virginia Key. Several hundred high school students from Miami get their education at MAST Academy.

Jimbo's is the quintessential traditional Florida bar. Smugglers used to enjoy the seclusion and anonymity of this hidden locale. Fishermen can still get live shrimp bait and Bocce Ball players still drink cold beer and eat smoked fish. It's now a popular location for magazine, catalog photo shoots and for filming movie scenes.

External links

• Jimbo's Place