Florida Keys is where America comes to dive
5/25/2004 3:58:59 PM by Ken Millman
A diver tumbling from the stern of a boat in South Florida finds himself
instantly carried to a world where lost shipwrecks beckon, and fish
named for angels and butterflies float above corals of kaleidoscopic
description. South Florida, boasting the continent's warmest and
clearest offshore waters, is where America comes to dive. Scuba and
fishing supporters in Miami and Fort Lauderdale have worked to sink a
remarkable collection of modern-day ships, boats and even old
oil-drilling platforms, all intended to create habitat for marine life
on the ocean floor. Old derelict vessels, troublesome eyesores when
abandoned along the Miami River, magically become magnets to
adventurous divers when dispatched to a final resting spot beneath the
waves. Best known among the deep-water dive sites (100 feet or more)
are the Mercedes off Broward County and the Orion off Miami, but divers
also visit dozens of other exciting shipwrecks. Even those which no
longer feature the "classic" features of a lost ship still serve as
artificial reefs, providing welcome shelter to fish large and small.
Marine organisms in South Florida's subtropical waters quickly adorn a
sunken shipwreck with a coating of life, which attracts schools of
silvery bait fish. Soon joining are the larger predators, such as
jacks, grouper, jewfish and barracuda. Public money helped sink most of
the artificial reefs, so the locations are readily available. Most area
dive shops can arrange a charter trip, or offer tips on how to find the
wrecks. For those who prefer to dive among nature's delights, just off
the southern tip of the Florida peninsula lie the Florida Keys - the
126-mile long chain of islands. The Keys serve up a slice of the
Caribbean to the diver who chooses to remain stateside. The only living
coral reef tract off the United States parallels the Florida Straights
for approximately 200 miles, from near Fowey Rocks, south of Key
Biscayne, to the remote Dry Tortugas.
The coral reefs feature spectacular elkhorn coral, branching out to
shelter multicolored schools of snapper or grunt beneath its vermilion
arms. Boulder-size brain coral dot the ocean floor, while angelfish
browse singly or in tandem. Barracuda, fearsome of countenance but no
threat to divers, keep a wary watch without seeming to flick a fin.
Travelers making the journey down Highway U.S. 1 first reach Key Largo,
where the local waters and reefs have been protected for decades by the
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the adjacent Key Largo
National Marine Sanctuary. But a series of ship groundings along the
coral reef tract alarmed conservationists and spurred Congress into
action. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was created in 1990,
increasing protected waters in the Keys from about 200 square miles to
more than 2,500, covering the entire island chain. It is now the
largest marine sanctuary in the nation. Reasons for the special
protection are evident to anyone who dons a face mask. The Keys'
aquatic gardens are made up of more than 50 species of hard and soft
corals. The "stony" bank reefs largely were built by star-coral polyps,
while gorgonians, the soft corals such as sea fans and whips, dance in
the gentle currents that push the clear waters. And, the profusion of
fish life may well be unmatched anywhere.
"People who have been virtually all over the world tell us we've got
more fish life than anyplace," said a Key Largo dive professional. Much
deserved attention has been paid to factors imperiling the reef's
survival - algae blooms, black-band disease, boat groundings and
"people pressure," among others - but often overlooked is one major
point: The coral reefs of the Keys remain a phenomenal work of nature.
Perhaps the best example of that is the most famous, and most heavily
visited, reef in the Keys, Molasses Reef. Considered the jewel in the
crown of the Key Largo sanctuary, Molasses is a large system which has
grown in a classic "spur and groove" formation (spurs are towering
coral banks, grooves are the sand channels between them). Marked by a
50-foot tower, Molasses is an easy-to-find site straight out of Key
Largo. Dozens of mooring buoys bob at the surface to eliminate the need
for boaters to drop anchor on the coral, a prime contributor to reef
degradation. Like almost all reef-diving sites in the Keys, it lies 4-6
miles from shore. Depths range from a few feet on the top of the coral
embankments to an average of about 30 feet in the channels. Divers at
Molasses find themselves sharing the water with fish that would be the
envy of any aquarium. Schools of silver and black spadefish glide along
the coral canyons where the sharp-beaked parrot fish nibble at the
rocky outcroppings. Yellowtail snapper, accustomed to being fed by
divers, will mob newcomers in hopes of a handout (this unnatural
behavior has caused the once-popular practice of fish feeding to be
officially discouraged). One favorite Molasses site is the Windlass,
where a winch from a long-forgotten sailboat sits center stage in a
large sand amphitheater. Nearby, string rays often bury themselves in
the sand, only their eyes protruding above the sea floor. Molasses Reef
rests along kind of a bend in the oceanic road at the southern border
of the Key Largo sanctuary, which allows a regular flushing from the
northflowing Gulf Stream current. That means underwater visibility is
usually good (about 60 feet) and at times remarkable (better than 100
feet). Moving to the north of Molasses, the thrill of diving French
Reef is in its swimthrough caves where small fish usually congregate.
The openings are only about four feet tall, so divers should take care
not to bang their tanks on the ceiling.
The passages are brightly lit and short, not posing any real danger of
entrapment. One of Key Largo's most popular dives is to visit the
Christ of the Abyss statute at Dry Rocks. The nine-foot tall bronze
statute was placed in 25 feet of water to symbolize man's eternal link
to the underwater world, as its outstretched arms seem to welcome
visitors.
The Elbow describes the bent shape of shallow and coral-bedecked reef
that contains several different locations. Afavorite is the City of
Washington wreck, scattered debris on the bottom where a diver is sure
to meet one of several resident moray eels. Depths are typically 25
feet deep. Ascenic reef structure that attracts fewer divers than most
is near the Carysfort Light, at the north end of the Key Largo
sanctuary (further than many commercial boats on half-day trips care to
run). Shallows near the 112-foot high lighthouse contain abundant coral
growth, while a nearby mini-wall slopes downward from 30 to 65 feet.
Crossing a sand channel brings divers to a second seaward reef, which
rises to within 35 feet of the surface. Elsewhere off Key Largo,
remnants of what once was a 300-foot freighter, the Benwood, are strewn
over the bottom in depths of 25-45 feet. Although the World War II
wreck retains little of its shape, the metal artifacts and a healthy
fish population make it a popular spot.
The search for shipwrecks of classic description takes divers to deep
water. The Duane and the Bibb are twin 327-foot Coast Guard cutters
scuttled as artificial reefs near Molasses in late 1987. Most often
visited is the Duane, which landed upright to tower over the sea floor
120 feet down. Divers can reach the crow’s nest of the vessel 50 feet
down; and from there it is easy to follow the superstructure down to
the main deck at 100 feet. Barracuda have taken up stationary posts
beneath the crow’s nest and on the foredeck, while schools of jacks
often chase clouds of bait fish along the main passageways.
The Bibb rolled on its side during sinking, with the shallowest part of
the wreck now in 90 feet. Most Key Largo dive operators limit Bibb
trips to small groups of advanced divers. The wrecks went down in an
area swept by currents, which means visibility often is superb. The
negative aspect is that on some days, the currents may prove too
formidable for diving. Popular among snorkelers off Key Largo are such
areas as Grecian Rocks and White Banks, places where the mix of
brilliant reef fish dart among corals shallow enough to be enjoyed
while floating on the surface. Moving down the Keys toward Key West,
the good diving continues. Renowned dive sites along the way include:
TAVERNIER/ISLAMORADA
Pickles Reef takes its name from the lost cargo of a 19th century ship,
small barrels filled with mortar or a similar building material. The
wood of the barrels has long since been eaten away, but barrel-size
blocks of the hardened mortar are still found on the shallow end of the
10- to 25-foot deep reef. Conch Reef rates among many as the best
deep-reef dive in the Keys. Spur and groove coral banks lead to the
bottom at 55 feet, where a wall slashes downward from 55 feet to more
than 100. Divers encounter a forest of vibrant soft corals in the
depths.
Davis Reef, mostly less than 30 feet, usually is a spot to count on
seeing morays retiring into cracks and crevices amid the coral. Nurse
sharks frequently snooze beneath Davis’ coral ledges. Seaward is
another intriguing slope, dropping from 50 to 80 feet. Crocker Wall,
another deep spot from 50 to 80 feet, provides an excellent chance of
glimpsing cruising rays and turtles. Alligator Reef, located around a
136foot lighthouse, teems with schools of fish and luxuriant coral
growth. The fish often concentrate in spots like the Gulley, a gap in
the coral that creates a sheltered haven. The Eagle, a 287-foot
freighter scuttled in 1985, lies on its starboard side in 110foot
depths. Marine growth has taken a firm hold on the metal hull, and its
cavernous holds now contain flashing schools of sardines and other
fish. As a bonus for wreck divers last summer, a school of large tarpon
took up residence. The San Pedro State Archaeological Site, in 15 feet
on a grass flat, will excite history buffs. Timbers from a galleon sunk
in 1733 lie where they fell, while ceramic replicas of period cannons
have been added to recreate the appearance of an unsalvaged 18th
century wreck.
MARATHON
Sombrero Reef, marked by the 142-foot light tower that is the tallest
in the Keys, attracts many Middle Keys divers. A series of coral banks
in the spur and groove formation lies in 25 to 35 foot depths. Most of
the coral is mountain star, but impressive stands of elkhorn and brain
coral grow there as well. Coffins Patch lies to the east, a series of
small coral ridges which include several worthwhile sites. At one, the
relatively rare pillar coral seems to form velvet-covered stalagmites.
The Thunderbolt, sunk as an artificial water experience. The 187-foot
long ship, built to lay cable, sits upright with a three-story tower
amidship. The four-foot long barracuda that has taken up residence in
the pilothouse is named “Rover.”
LOWER KEYS
Looe Key, designated as a marine sanctuary in 1981, protects 5.3 square
miles of a complete coral reef ecosystem – from the shallow grass flats
to a deep-water slope. The main lure is the Fore Reef, a series of bank
reefs that are among the most majestic in the Keys. Fish life,
sheltered from spearfishing or tropical collecting for more than a
decade, is extraordinary. American Shoal, Maryland Shoal, and Pelican
Shoal are a series of reefs visited regularly by only a handful of
Lower Keys dive boat operators.
KEY WEST
The Sambos – divided into East, Middle and West – are shallow reefs
with occasional stands of elkhorn and staghorn, and abundant fish life.
Sand Key, marked by a lighthouse on a sandy island, still features good
fish life, but the popular and easy to find shallow reef often is cited
as an example of what happens when a reef is abused by too many
careless visitors over the years. Stinging fire coral dominates the
area. Ten-Fathom Bar is a deep slope which begins at its trademark
60-foot depth and drops off to nearly 200 feet. Deep water corals
flourish on the incline. Western Dry Rocks and Rock Key run the gamut
from areas just below the surface to more than 100 feet. Elkhorn coral
can be found in the mid-range areas, along with a number of small caves
and ledges. The Cayman Salvager is the most visited contemporary wreck,
a 180-foot long ship sunk in at the base of a coral slope. The
superstructure was removed before sinking.
This story was rewritten by Ken Millman from the South Florida Outdoor Guide.