Best Dive Sites
Adolphus Busch Wreck
By boat - CMAS ** / AOW
The 210 foot former island freighter was sunk December 5th, 1998. The wreck is perfectly upright and intact at 108 feet deep. Good for a Nitrox dive.
Aquarius Underwater Laboratory
By boat - All divers
The Aquarius underwater ocean laboratory is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary three and a half miles off-shore in Conch Reef. The laboratory is currently in 60 feet of water but is built to withstand depths of up to 120 feet. The actually laboratory is home to scientists who live…
Araby Maid wreck
By boat - Kamikazes/Trimix
Araby Maid was a 195-foot steel vessel. This masted schooner barque was built in 1868. She sank after a collision in 1903. It's a DEEP WRECK for ADVANCED DIVERS!
Cayman Salvager
By boat - CMAS ** / AOW
The Cayman Salvager now lies one mile southwest of the Nine-Foot Stake. This 187-foot steel-hulled buoy tender was built in 1937 for Coast Guard usage and was later used as a cable layer and for freighting. The US Government seized this vessel because she was carrying Cuban refugees during the 1979…
Christ of the Abyss
By boat - All divers
The "Christ of the Abyss" is a 9 foot 4000 pound bronze statue made by an Italian sculptor Guido Galletti. It was placed in Key Largo Dry Rocks in 1966 by the Underwater Society of America.
The Statue sits atop a large concrete base in 25 feet of water.
Coffins Patch
By boat - All divers
This dive site is in the Sanctuary Preservation Area.
Conch Reef
By boat - CMAS * / OW
Conch Reef contains a Sanctuary Preservation Area, no fishing or lobstering allowed.
Crocker Reef
By boat - CMAS * / OW
Davis Reef
By boat - CMAS * / OW
This dive site is in a Sanctuary Preservation Area, no fishing or lobstering allowed!
Davis reef is well known for its schools of fish; and the small Buddha statue that was placed here in 1989.
Delta Shoal & The Barge
By boat - All divers
Delta Shoals are home to several wrecks. The Barge (behind the east end of the reef), the Ivory Wreck... The reef also have great canyons and nice coral structures.
Eastern dry rocks
By boat - All divers
Popular dive site for scuba and snorkeling.
French Reef
By boat - CMAS * / OW
French Reef is located into the Sanctuary Preservation Area.
Bring a light to explore the 4 caves of French Reef:
- Hourglass Cave (near F1)
- Christmas Tree Cave (near F3)
- White Sand Bottom Cave (The largest cave, located at the center of the reef)
- Five Caves (small caves, south end of…
Hens & Chicken Reef
By boat - All divers
Joe's tug
By boat - CMAS ** / AOW
Joe's tug is a small steel tugboat (28m long) that sits upright. You can enter into the wreck easily and access to the wheel house and aft deck.
Loggerhead Reef
By boat - CMAS * / OW
Looe Key Reef & HMS Looe
By boat - All divers
Looe Key Reef is one of the best but also most dived reefs in the Keys. This reef contains a Sanctuary Preservation Area. The HMS Looe Wreck sunk here in 1744.
Mike's Wreck
By boat - All divers
The Mike's Wreck is an unknown steel-hulled ship. It is of the most popular location for underwater photography.
Molasses Reef
By boat - All divers
You don't have to go far from the boat to see a large variety of animals of all sizes. Located in the National Marine Sanctuary, it is a protected reef, so no worries about tangles with spears or hooks; and very large game fish abound! Weekends do bring in a fair amount of divers, but there is…
Park Headquarters reef
From shore - All divers
Pretty reef in shallow water
Rhein
By boat - Kamikazes/Trimix
This 453 foot-long German freighter was sunk by Dutch and British warships back in WWII.
Rock key
By boat - All divers
Popular dive spot. Most reef formations are with long fingers of coral, sand and coral-filled canyons in between.
Sand key
By boat - All divers
Popular dive site off Key West.
The reef itself consists mostly of rock fingers and gullies with sandy bottoms between cliff-like structures and extensive areas of staghorn and elkhorn coral.
Sombrero Reef
By boat - All divers
Sombrero Reef has been designated a Sanctuary Preservation Area; fishing and lobstering are strictly prohibited.
Spiegel Grove
By boat - CMAS ** / AOW
Spiegel Grove sunk June 10, 2002. This is the largest ship ever sunk intentionally to be an artificial reef, and probably the most well known.
Vessel size:
- length: 510 feet
- type: U.S. Navy Landing Ship Dock
- tonnage: 6,880 tons
It takes at least two dives to have a look of the…
The Benwood Wreck
By boat - CMAS * / OW
The Benwood was a freighter, built in 1910. She was 360 feet long with a 51 foot beam. It sunk in 1942.
The Bib Wreck
By boat - CMAS *** / DiveMaster
The Bibb Wreck
By boat - CMAS ** / AOW
The USGC Bibb was built in 1937 (Coast Guard vessel), and was sunk in 1987. She is 327 feet long, 41 foot beam.
The City of Washington Wreck
By boat - All divers
The wreck site of the City of Washington is 325 feet long that sunk in 1891. An old and disintegrated wreck, but you'll find a plethora of marine life in and around this site.
The Duane Wreck
By Boat - cmas**/ AOWD
The Duane was originally stationed in California until being transferred to the East coast in 1939. During World War II, the Duane was credited, along with her sister cutter Spencer, with sinking the German submarine U-175. The Duane also served as a …
The Eagle Wreck
By boat - CMAS ** / AOW
The Eagle is a 269 feet long freighter which was sunk (December 19th, 1985) intentionally near Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida, to become an artificial reef and diving spot.
It was split in two by hurricane Georges in september 1998. A distance of about 100 feet now separates the two…
The Elbow
By boat - All divers
Thunderbolt Wreck
By boat - CMAS ** / AOW
The Thunderbolt ia a 190-foot wreck. It was intentionally sunk in 1986. The wreck is sitting upright in 115 feet of water. This is a nice wreck, totally intact with full of marine life.
Train Wheel Wreck
By boat - All divers
Another area of wreckage at the Elbow. A tug and barge went aground in the 20s, dumping train track and wheels onto the reef. Little remains of the wrecks but the wheels. Huge formations of Elkhorn coral shelter schools of Goatfish, Snappers, and Porkfish. Colorful tropical fish are plentiful.
U-2513
By boat - Kamikazes/Trimix
Unterseeboot 2513 (U-2513) was a Type XXI U-boat of the Kriegsmarine that was operated by the United States Navy for several years after World War II.
On 2 September 1951, the Chief of Naval Operations ordered that the boat be sunk by gunfire. U-2513 was sunk west of Key West, Florida during…
USS S-16 Wreck
By boat - Kamikazes/Trimix
"The submarine S-16 was built by Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut. She was laid down on March 19, 1918, launched on December 23, 1919, and commissioned on December 17, 1920. The S-16 was 231 feet long, had a 21 foot beam and a 13 foot draft. She was attached to the Subdivision 18 and…
USS Vandenburg
By boat - All divers
523 foot WW2 Cargo Ship sunk as an artificial reef. She lies upright.
Western dry rocks
By boat - All divers
Popular dive site.