The Vandenberg Artificial Reef is the newest spot to dive, although the longer you wait to dive this incredible sunken ship, the more marine life you’re apt to see.  Sunk May 2009, this 522 foot former Navy transport ship from World War II features large satellite dishes that come up to within 50 feet of the surface.  When the water is clear, even snorkelers can see them!

The beam is 72.5 feet and she has eight decks.  Now resting in about 150 feet of water, she makes an excellent choice for you next Key West diving vacation.  There are access openings cut into the sides of the ship, and all doors and hatches have been removed. In fact, there are lots of access openings:

Second deck – 46 access openings
• Upper deck – 50 access openings
• Superstructure deck 34 access openings
• Between bulk heads interior 60-80 access openings

Access openings are 79 inches in diamter.  In addition, all vertical passageways have been cleared of covers, which helped the sinking of the Vandenberg, but also contributes to safety for advanced divers who penetrate the wreck.

A Conch Republic Flag was raised on the Vandenberg once the ship was sunk, and within a few days giant barracuda were already lurking all around the ship.  Most Key West dive companies run trips out to the Vandenberg.  The dive can be combined with a stop at either Nine Foot Stake or
Joe’s Tug.

Photos by Mike Mccallister

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Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is the largest protection measure for the coral reef in the Florida Keys. In the late 1980s there was a high rate of large vessel groundings on the reef, causing alarm in the diving community and beyond. Lots of coral was destroyed by the groundings, and this added to the growing concern over polluted waters washing over the coral and in Florida Bay created the drive for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

In fact, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary covers ground that’s already protected by other, smaller sanctuaries. Divers just need to know to look for yellow marker balls, which designate Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs). Inside the SPAs, there is no anchoring, and it’s a no-take zone.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary also designates research-only areas on the reef, located at Looe Key, Conch Reef, Tennessee Reef, and Eastern Sambo. You cannot dive the marked areas at these spots.

Areas designated by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary also include Ecological Reserve areas, which have the tightest rules yet. These areas are located at Western Sambo in Key West, and at Dry Tortugas.

Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park is important not because you can go scuba diving here, but because it is an important part of the coral reef ecosystem. Everglades National Park provides protection for the nursery of the coral reefs. That is, the Everglades are where many of the fish on the main reef begin their lives. Baby fish and invertebrates thrive here because there’s a constant flow of water which is necessary to sea grass. Sea Grass in Florida Bay is where fish grow up before they head out to the Atlantic and the coral reef.

If you’re in the Upper Keys, Everglades National Park is a wonderful day trip if you take a break for a day from scuba. You can drive up to Homestead, FL and enter the Park through the entrances near Homestead. There are trails, birds everywhere especially in winter, and alligators everywhere! There are flats fishing trips out of Everglades National Park, too. Visitor Centers are throughout the park as well.

Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary

Bahia Honda State Park is one of the most famous parks in the Florida Keys. Prized for its campsites with gorgeous sunset views, it’s been written up in dozens of travel magazines. Ten miles out to sea on the ocean side, likes Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. This is one of the most beautiful dive spots in the Florida Keys. There are 70 mooring buoys at this spot, to accommodate the divers and snorkelers who visit.

Depths at Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary range from five to 70 feet. Diving here is at the novice level. There is lots of different types of structure here, including sandy bottom, large overhangs, tall coral colonies, and remains of a wreck that include only a chain and some ballast.

Part of the reef at Looe Key is a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). That means, among other things, no anchoring. Use the mooring buoys. The deepest areas are buoys 50-70. The current will be strongest here, too.

Fort Jefferson National Monument

The main coral reef that starts in Biscayne National Park ends at the Dry Tortugas, Fort Jefferson National Monument is the park that protects this western area of the reef, as well as the historic fort and the tiny islands inside the park. Fort Jefferson National Monument is accessible only by boat or by seaplane, with regular trips from Key West.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are excellent at Fort Jefferson or Dry Tortugas, and you can combine your trip with a visit to the Civil War-era fort. It takes the excursion boats a few hours to get to Fort Jefferson from Key West, since it’s 80 miles out.