One of the goals of the national marine sanctuary system is to provide opportunities for people to learn about our nation’s maritime heritage. Diving Shipwrecks. Therefore, many historical sites within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are open to diving and snorkeling. The exceptions are those sites located within the sanctuary’s Special-use Research Only Areas. These “no-entry” zones … Read more
Built in 1873, Alligator Reef Lighthouse stands guard in honor of its namesake, the USS Alligator. In 1822, just two years out of the shipyard, the Navy schooner was on rounds to recapture and free ships that were taken in the pirate-heavy seas of the Caribbean. At Alligator Reef, a notoriously difficult area to navigate, the … Read more
Ever wondered about Florida Keys Names and why certain locations are named as they are? You may be on vacation in the Florida Keys, or a resident, and asked that question. If you’re boating and come across Alligator Reef, don’t think the name means it’s overrun with reptiles. The reef was named after the USS … Read more
Marked by a series of mooring buoys, the remains of the Adolphus Busch, a 210-foot freighter, lay 6 miles southwest of Big Pine Key. The vessel was originally named Ocean Alley but was later renamed Adolphus Busch after the senior member of the Busch brewing family. This ship was intentionally sunk in 100-feet of water … Read more
We were headed out for a “double dip,” two successive dives, on the purposely sunk wreck of the USS Spiegel Grove, which is considered the backbone of the artificial reef system in the Keys. It lies in 130-feet of water near Dixie Shoals off Key Largo. Dives depths range from 60 to 130 feet with … Read more
Somewhere in the waters off the Florida coast, an estimated $250 million in silver bars and coins is waiting for Kim Fisher and his treasure hunting family to come and get it. And Fisher, who lives by his father’s “today’s-the-day” motto, thinks he’s close to one of the biggest hauls of his career. That would … Read more
Road trips don’t come more spectacular than the Overseas Highway. Sailing through tropical savanna over the Florida Straits, it links Miami on the mainland with the 180-kilometer-long Florida Keys island chain. Most visitors head straight to Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States, but if they stopped along the way they’d find secluded … Read more
It was a busy day at the wreck of the Benwood. There were several dive boats tied to the mooring balls. As I approached the wreck, I saw all manner of scuba divers — from those decked out in rebreathers and other technical gear to others who appeared to be finishing up dives to get their … Read more
Lack of finding a 74.85-ounce gold bar plundered from a Key West museum five years ago come Tuesday has left an “open wound,” says the museum’s director. “The bar was insured but money will never replace an artifact that was part of so many museum visitors’ personal interaction and memories of the experience,” Melissa Kendrick, chief … Read more
BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff A shipwreck salvor has claimed to have found a wrecked sailing vessel somewhere off the Middle Keys, but as is usual with such cases, specifics about what treasures it may hold and from what year in history it hails remains shrouded in secrecy. A company called EPW Salvage, Inc., owned … Read more