BISCAYNE
The Biscayne Wreck was one of local fisherman’s best kept secrets from 1974 until 1980. A 120 foot freighter that was once used to transport bananas between Caribbean islands and Central America, later becoming of Miami’s first artificial reefs on a stormy December evening.
Confiscated at Watson Island for financial reasons, a group of local fisherman purchased the “Banana Freighter,” as it is often referred to, and decided to sink it themselves as a fishing site off Key Biscayne in approximately 250 feet of water. However, when they towed it out and opened the hatch doors to let it sink, the storm grew and the ship took much longer than expected to come to it’s final rest. The driving wind and rain pushed the freighter closer and closer to shore and finally slipped to the bottom in only 55 feet of water, making it the perfect wreck for divers!
There is approximately 15 feet of relief to look for on your depth recorder. This makes an excellent night dive because of both the depth and the coral encrusted hull. It has a huge cargo hold which is easily penetrated and often full of bait fish. Full of color for the photo enthusiast after decades on the bottom, this is also an excellent dive for novices or someone who has not gotten wet in awhile.
Lots of fish, a picturesque bow and shallow depths afford a lengthy dive with numerous photo ops as well as great marine life including numerous moray eels that live throughout the ship.
QUICK FACTS:
- Type: Wreck
- Min. Depth: 55 ft. / 17m
- Max. Depth: 50 ft. / 15m
- Skill Level: Open Water Diver
- Location: (See Map Below)