Swimmers escorted by kayakers circle Alligator Reef Lighthouse during the Swim for Alligator Lighthouse open-water challenge Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, off Islamorada, Fla., in the Florida Keys. The 8-mile roundtrip race attracted more than 300 swimmers divided into categories including solo and two-, three- and four-person relay teams. The annual event helps raise awareness of the need to restore Alligator Reef Lighthouse, one of six aging Florida Keys lighthouses, that are some 150 years old and no longer needed for navigation. The beacon is named for the USS Alligator, a U.S. Navy schooner that ran aground and sank on the reef in 1822. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Bob Care/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)
