The USCG Cutter Duane

After being decommissioned on August l, 1985, as the oldest active U.S. military vessel, the Duane was intentionally sunk for use as an artificial reef in 1987. The ship's hatches were opened and the holds pumped full of water to sink the ship. On a clear day, the outline of Duane's intact hull can be seen from above. The mast and crow's nest, protruding high above the hull, can be seen at 60 feet below the water line. The navigating bridge is located at 70 feet, just forward of amidships. The superstructure deck is at 90 feet and the main deck lies at l00 feet. The hull structure, completely intact with the original rudders, screws, railings, ladders and ports, makes an impressive display. Duane offers advanced divers an exciting opportunity to explore an intact sunken ship that hosts an impressive community of pelagic and sedentary marine life. More

The USS Alligator

The Alligator met a number of pirate ships in combat during the spring and summer of 1822, but in November of that year it ran aground while escorting a convoy of merchant ships. After unsuccessfully attempting to refloat the vessel, the crew of the Alligator set it afire to prevent pirates from salvaging the schooner. The Alligator is 86 feet in length and 25 feet at the beam and the wreck site consists of two ballast piles and associated coral heads and rubble. The primary ballast pile consists of the remains of the lower hull, which are preserved in situ. The second pile contains artifacts from the vessel, as well as components of the Alligator that were jettisoned overboard when the crew attempted to refloat the ship. Today, the Alligator has stabilized and is in a fair state of preservation. More

The San Pedro

The San Pedro was one of 21 merchant ships headed to Spain from Havana, Cuba, in the summer of 1733 when a hurricane off the coast of the Florida Keys wrecked all but one of the ships. The ships were salvaged for their precious cargo and those vessels that could be refloated were taken back to Havana. Those ships that could not make the journey, including the San Pedro, were burned down to the waterline. It took years to complete the salvage effort but eventually more treasure was recovered from the wrecks of the 1733 flota than had been recorded on the ships' manifests, evidence of illegal smuggling. The San Pedro rests in 18-20 ft. of water about 1¼ nautical miles south of Indian Key. More

The Avanti

The Avanti sunk on January 22, 1907, as it was transporting lumber from Pensacola to Montevideo, Uruguay. The details of the sinking of the ship are unknown, as there are no historical documents on the event. The ship is 261 feet long by 39 feet wide with three masts, two decks and cement ballast. The Avanti is in excellent condition as a result of iron's resistance to corrosion. There are two main wreckage fields with the bow section oriented east-west and the stern section aligned north-south. The Avanti, located within Dry Tortugas National Park, rests at a depth of 22 ft. some 1,100 yards southwest of Loggerhead Key. More

The Bird Key Wreck

While the ship has not been positively identified, it is likely that it was transporting bricks to Garden Key for the construction of nearby Fort Jefferson. It is possibly the Scottish Chief, which was owned and operated by the Tift brothers out of Key West, who were the principal suppliers of bricks for Fort Jefferson at this time. There are three types of brick associated with the wreck; yellow bricks identical to those used to construct the curtains, bastions and other major portions of Fort Jefferson; and two other types of brick that were used in the firebox of the vessel. More

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