Diving the Florida Keys with Outdoortravels.com

Wrecks

Adolphus Busch Sr.

Location, depth, features, etc: Located off of Big Pine Key, 105'

Cool Sightings: Large Arrow Crabs, Urchin, Grey Angels, unidentified worm.

Recommendations: very nice wreck dive, current can be strong.

Duane

Location, depth, features, etc: Located off of Key Largo, in 120' of water. It's a former 327' long U.S. Coast Guard Cutter. Crow's nest is at 60', 70' the navigation bridge, superstructure deck at 90' and the main deck is at 100'. The hull is intact.

Cool Sightings: Large Barracuda

Recommendations: very nice wreck dive, current can be strong.

Eagle

Location, depth, features, etc: Located off of Islamorada, in 110' of water. Structure is broken in half and sits on the bottom at about a 45-degree angle. A freighter, her deck railings are at 70' and her propeller and rudder are at 110'.

Cool Sightings: Large Scrawled File Fish, plentiful small corals, Grey & French Angels.

Recommendations: very nice wreck dive, leaning structure can be a little disorienting.

Thunderbolt "Outdoor Travels Don't Miss Dive Site"

Location, depth, features, etc: Located off of Marathon Key, in 105' of water. A cable layer from WWII her bow sports a large wheel used for laying cable.

Cool Sightings: Well encrusted hull included large flapping clams a large Moray Eel under a hatch, a big Barracuda in wheel house. Most notable, the Thunderbolt is home to two very large Jewfish.

Recommendations: very nice wreck dive, a "must dive" wreck in the keys.

Caymen Salvager

Location, depth, features, etc: Located off Key West, it's a 163' long US Army Minelayer that was built in 1963 and was later converted to a research vessel. While being towed to a designated sinking site in 1985, she sank prematurely in 90' of water on her port side. Hurricane Katrina uprighted her to its current position on the ocean bottom.

Cool Sightings: Banded Coral Shrimp, Supermale Hogfish, Jelly Fish, Urchin, Goby, juvinile Sunshine Fish and Purple Reef Fish

Recommendations: One of the deeper dives accessable from Key West. The wreck is well encrusted and interesting. Visibility was only around 10' 15' when I last visited.

Joe's Tug

Location, depth, features, etc: A 75' steel hulled tugboat in depths of 55 to 68 feet resting in coral. It was sunk as an artificial reef in 1984.

Cool Sightings: There is a resident Jewfish that I got to see at the last minute. Other life included: Lizzard Reef Fish, Trunk Fish, Trumpet Fish, Doctor Fish, lots of High Hats and yellow headed Jawfish.

Recommendations: I did this as a second dive after doing the Caymen Salvager. This is an excellent two-wreck dive trip. Visibility was around 30' or so here.

Key Largo - Tavernier

Conch Wall

Depth, features, etc: 65' - 87'+ drift dive, good visibility

Cool Sightings: Small Porcupine Fish, Spider Crab, Basket Sea Star, Coral Shrimp in a Tube Sponge, Spotted Eel, Scrawled File Fish, Scorpion Fish and more. On another dive I identified for the first time, three types of Hamlets, Shy, Butter and Blue as well as a spotting a nice Honeycomb Cowfish.

Recommendations: Nice reef dive, watch your Non-Decompression Time if this is your second dive of the day.

Crocker Reef

Depth, features, etc: dove to 70', reef seemed to be in poor condition.

Cool Sightings: 3 Spotted Eels, large Queen Angel Fish and a few Trumpet Fish.

Recommendations: A drift dive that had no current, ended up swimming. Coral was in poor condition. Not the best choice I've seen for a "deep" Florida Keys dive.

Davis Ledge

Depth, features, etc: 26', reef in average condition

Cool Sightings: High Hats, 2 Green Moray Eels, several cleaning stations, Black Bar Soldier Fish, Brown Chromis, Cowfish, Trunk Fish, Golden Tail Eel, Spotted Eel, Lobster and more.

Recommendations: A nice reef dive that has tons of fish life, but average coral.

Davey Crockett Deep "Outdoor Travels Don't Miss Dive Site"

Depth, features, etc: 63'+ a very nice rare deep reef dive in the Keys

Cool Sightings: Balloon Fish, Goldentail Eel, Queen Angels, My first identifying of a Shy Hamlet and a Tan Hamlet. Also, 2 very large Southern Stingrays, Trumpet Fish, Yellow Stingray and Blue Chromis to name a few.

Recommendations: A nice reef dive that has tons of fish life.

Horseshoe Reef

Depth, features, etc: under 30', spectacular life, especially at night

Cool Sightings: Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber extended, Hermit Crabs, Spotted Eel, Basket Sea Stars, tiny Brittle Stars, Drum, Yellow Ray, large Banded Coral Shrimp, Lobster, Southern Stingray, Squid, Cardinal Fish, Scorpion Fish, High Hats and my first ID of a Greater Soap Fish!

Recommendations: Deep (for the Keys) reef dive with good life equals a great dive!

Jewels Verne's Underseas Park - Key Largo inlet

Depth, features, etc: Sheltered, buoyed inlet, 20' - 30' deep. Visibility is 15' or so, fish are less plentiful than divers. This may be a favorite spot for instructors and students, due to its controlled environment.

Cool Sightings: not much other than the underwater "hotel" in the middle of the inlet

Recommendations: SUCKS! Not even interesting enough to dive, even if the weather cancels all boat diving - I had to dive this because of a weather related cancellation.

Margaret's Reef "Outdoor Travels Don't Miss Dive Site"

Depth, features, etc: 58'

Cool Sightings: Spotted Eel, large schools of Yellowtail and Grunts, Slate Pencil Urchin, Butter Hamlets, Flamingoes Tongue, Trunkfish, Sand Diver, Yellow Stingray, Blue Chromis, my first spotting of an adult Creole Wrasse. Also, Pederson Cleaner Shrimp, Corkscrew Anenome, multiple Green Moray Eels, multiple Nurse Sharks and Lobster.

Recommendations: If this dive is always like this, I would mark it down as a "must dive" spot. The amount of large and small life was amazing!

Pickle's Pillars

Depth, features, etc: 27' named for its very obvious pillar coral. First time I've noticed this behavior in Squirrel Fish - they would dart into small holes, head first, leaving their tails sticking out. When their tails were touched, they would make a growling noise like a lawn mower!

Cool Sightings: Lots of unique Pillar Coral, Scorpion Fish, Lobsters, Porcupine Fish, Flamingoe's Tongues, Urchin, Squirrel Fish everywhere, Orange Anenome, Cow Fish, Green Moray.

Recommendations: Although the signature Pilla Coral isn't all that healthy, it still was an interesting dive.

PT's Ledge

Depth, features, etc: 21', this was a night dive

Cool Sightings: Large Southern Stingray, Crab, spotted Eel, unidentified worms that were long and grey coiled, Scorpion Fish, juvenile Drum

Recommendations: Although my masked leaked, my console bubbled and my main light went out, I really enjoyed this dive!

Snapper's Ledge "Outdoor Travels Don't Miss Dive Site"

Depth, features, etc: 30', possibly the most fish in one spot I've ever seen!

Cool Sightings: Schools of Snapper and Goat Fish, Spanish Hog Fish, multiple Trunk Fish, Urchin, Crab, Lobster, Nurse Shark, Spider and Arrow Crabs, Yellow Ray, Sand Tile Fish, Octopus, Corkscrew Anenome, Goldentail Eel, Slate Pencil Urchin, Pederson Cleaner Shrimp, Butter Hamlet, Hawk Fish and Saddled Blenny to name just a few.

Recommendations: A serious "Must Dive" site in the keys. On top of all the fish, we spotted an Octopus and a Nurse Shark!

Spanky's Reef "Outdoor Travels Don't Miss Dive Site"

Depth, features, etc: 28'

Cool Sightings: 2 Nurse Sharks, 3 Yellow Stingrays, over 15 Yellowheaded Jawfish in one area and a Hawksbill Turtle - Talk about marine life overload! We also spotted a very special rock. It had tons of little critters under it. In the space of 2' there were multiple large Arrow Crabs, multiple Pederson Cleaner Shrimp, 2-3 Peppermint Shrimp, 2 Corkscrew Anenome and several Two Spot Cardinal Fish!

Recommendations: One of the coolest dives we've done! Serious 5-Star dive for the amount of large and small life.

Telephone Reef (Southwest)

Depth, features, etc: 30'

Cool Sightings: First potting of a Spotted Corenet Fish, multiple Balloon Fish, large Hermit Crab, File Fish, Scraweld Cow Fish

Recommendations: Another good 30' Keys dive.

Victory Reef (Southwest)

Depth, features, etc: 58' conducted as a "drift dive" that was more like a "swim dive" due to lack of current

Cool Sightings: Lots of coral, Brittle Stars, Yellow Stingray, Scrawled Cowfish, Sandiver and an Eagle Ray!

Recommendations: Although we spotted an Eagle Ray this dive was devoid of fish life. The coral was plentiful though. Dives of this depth are not common in the Keys, so if you like coral, this is a dive for you.

Marathon Key

Barbara's Reef

Depth, features, etc: 25'

Cool Sightings: Black Grouper, Brown Chromis, French and Grey Angel Fish, Flamingoes Tongues, Redlipped Blenny, Hawkfish, large Creole Wrasse, Scorpion Fish, Nuse Shark, Goldentail Moray

Recommendations: Once again, a very typical good Keys dive. Shallow with lots of interesting fish.

Lost and Found Reef

Depth, features, etc: 31'

Cool Sightings: Grey Angel, Black Grouper, Scrawled Cow Fish, large female Rainbow Parrot Fish, Moray Eel, Butter Hamlet, Lobster, Banded Coral Shrimp and Basket Sea Stars.

Recommendations:A very typical good Keys dive. Shallow with lots of interesting fish.

Loyd's Ledge "Outdoor Travels Don't Miss Dive Site"

Depth, features, etc: 70'

Cool Sightings: Queen, Blue and French Angels, Black Capped Basslet, Spotted Eel, juvenile Sunshine Fish, Hermit Crabs, Scrawled File Fish (pair), and Balloon Fish.

Recommendations: A rare deep reef dive in the keys that should not be missed.

Pillar Patch "Outdoor Travels Don't Miss Dive Site"

Depth, features, etc: Shallow healthy reef that is a beautiful 20' of magic!

Cool Sightings: tons of Lobster walking around, Scrawled Cowfish, Flamefish, a juvenile Trunk Fish the size of an eraser head, Saddled Blenny, large Anenome and lots of coral!

Recommendations: A serious "Must Dive" especially if you are a photographer!

Pork Fish

Depth, features, etc: 31'

Cool Sightings: Hawk Fish, 4' Moray Eel, Black Grouper, High Hat, Brown Chromis, Scrawled File Fish and the tinniest curious little Spiny Head Blenny or possibly a Secretary Blenny.

Recommendations: Nice reef dive full of fish

Samantha's Reef

Depth, features, etc: 25'

Cool Sightings: Arrow Crab, Trunk Fish, Conch, Nurse Shark, Bermuda Chub, French Angel, Black Grouper, Spotted Eel, very large Blue Parrot Fish and a Darkheaded Blenny.

Recommendations: Good shallow reef dive.

Shark Harbour

Depth, features, etc: 31'

Cool Sightings: My first spotting of a Flame Fish also Rock Beauty, Banded Butterfly Fish, Black Barred Soldier Fish, Nassua Grouper, Lobster, 6' Nurse Shark, Butter Hamlet

Recommendations: Very nice dive. Spotted one shark that probably helps give this reef its name.

Looe Key Marine Sanctuary

Buoy #3

Depth, features, etc: 30'

Cool Sightings: Dolphins, from the boat, Yellow Headed Jaw Fish, Drum, Scorpion Fish, Banded Coral Shrimp, etc.