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Hundreds Gather For Underwater Radio Broadcast In Florida

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BIG PINE KEY, Fla. (CBSMiami/AP) — Hundreds of divers and snorkelers took to the sea to listen to a local radio's four-hour broadcast in the ocean at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Staged by Keys radio station WWUS and the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, the festival encouraged coral reef protection and environmentally responsible diving. The event took place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary about six miles south of Big Pine Key.

"This is a celebration of the coral reef," said festival founder Bill Becker. "It's a way for people to really appreciate the coral reef while at the same time listening to an environmental message, and we are committed to preserving the coral reef and keeping it safe."

Music broadcast by the radio station via underwater speakers suspended beneath boats above the reef. Swimming among colorful tropical fish and coral formations, participants swayed to sea-focused offerings that included humpback whale songs and melodies like the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" and Jimmy Buffett's "Fins."

Hundreds Gather For Underwater Radio Broadcast In Florida
Marathon swimmer Diana Nyad swims during the Underwater Music Festival Saturday, July 11, 2015, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Big Pine Key, Fla. Nyad was one of hundred of participants who listened to a local radio station's four-hour broadcast piped beneath the sea via underwater speakers, featuring music programmed for the subsea listening experience as well as coral reef conservation messages. In September 2013, Nyad became the first person to ever swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys without a shark cage. (Bob Care/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Participants included endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, who in September 2013 became the first person to swim from Cuba to Key West without a shark cage. Nyad, who kept focused during the almost 111-mile swim by singing a mental "playlist" to herself, said actually hearing tunes underwater was incredible.

"You couldn't hear it this well if you were in a concert sitting in the front row and actually watching the fingers on the guitar," Nyad said. "It's very magical and distinct underwater."

One of the songs from Nyad's personal Cuba-to-Key-West soundtrack, "Me and Bobby McGee," was broadcast during the festival in her honor.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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