The original "Il Christo Degli Abissi" statue was placed in the Mediterranean Sea off Genoa, Italy, in 1954.  In 1961, a second statue "Christ of the Deep" was cast from the same mold.  The Cressi family of Italy donated the statue to the Underwater Society of America, which in turn donated it to the Florida State Park Service, in recognition of the conservation efforts involved in the creation of America's first underwater park.

In 1965, the nine foot tall 4000 pound bronze statue "Christ of the Deep" was attached to a concrete base, and placed in 25 feet of water on the seaward side of Key Largo Dry Rocks.  Since then, "The Statue" has become an icon of Key Largo scuba diving.  In 1975, Key Largo Dry Rocks, along with pretty much everything else over three miles offshore, out to 300 feet of depth, became a part of the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, which in turn became a part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The Christ Statue is one of the most famous and visited underwater sites on earth, accessible to divers and snorkelers alike!  Shallow high profile spur and groove coral formations are surrounded by relatively flat, coral and sponge encrusted hard bottom, and sand.  Large Spotted Eagle Rays and Southern Stingrays are often sighted near the sandy perimeter.