1972 Map of Snipe Keys

About this map

The Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge dominates this 1970s orthophotomap, revealing a complex subtropical environment where land and water merge through dense mangroves and shallow basins. This specific survey, prepared from 1970 aerial photography, provides a rare visual of the Florida Keys' backcountry before modern changes. The geography is defined by intricate tidal passages such as Mud Key Channel and the Barracuda Keys Channel, which weave between the Mud Keys and the Snipe Keys. To the south, the map details the northern reaches of the Saddlebunch Keys and the broad expanse of Jewfish Basin. Landmarks like Old Dan Mangrove and Marvin Key serve as navigational anchors in a landscape of shifting shoals and indefinite boundaries, while the Intracoastal Waterway cuts through the Gulf of Mexico at the map's northern edge, signaling the vital maritime corridor of the region.