Duplicate Southernmost Buoy To Stand In During Seawall Repair

Above, the Southernmost Point buoy in April 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who want to take a selfie at the famous Key West Southernmost Point buoy can continue to do so. But there's a little catch.

The buoy won't be the "real" one or at its location at the Southernmost Plaza. I saw the buoy in April 2019 when the tram I was riding in passed it.

The reason is, the plaza is to be repaired later this summer, so a duplicate buoy is being made to accommodate tourists.

According to the Keys News:

The City of Key West assures the world that the island’s most-photographed landmark, the Southernmost Buoy, will continue to be photographed while the intersection of the Southernmost Point is repaired later this summer.

While the original Southernmost Buoy will be temporarily unavailable to visitors, the city is constructing a new, temporary buoy, which will be placed at the Duval Street Pocket Park, 1400 Duval St.

Past storm events have undermined the existing Southernmost Plaza, according to city spokeswoman Alyson Crean, and the city is readying to repair the seawall and other damage at the corner of South and Whitehead streets. The work will require the closure of the area, impacting access to the existing buoy, Crean said.

The buoy being fabricated will provide visitors and residents alike with the same photo opportunity. In the meantime, the plaza will be repaired and enhanced, and the original buoy will remain at its current location.

To read more, go here.