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Florida Shipwrecks & Reefs

Locations > Shipwrecks & Reefs

moray eel coming out of a hole on a coral reefFlorida has thousands of shipwrecks and reefs, many still to be discovered. We created a webpage for each region with full details on sites that have a rich history or are interesting for fishing and diving. We give details of wrecks and reefs on regional pages and also present a full list of all the reefs we have researched below. There are also some interesting shipwrecks that are newly discovered or missing, so we include them on this page for lack of a better place to put them. Learning about Florida shipwrecks is fascinating, we hope you enjoy our pages. We try to be brief, just stating the facts, then we include links for you to learn more about each site. More to come soon...

Don't miss Lost & Found - Interesting Shipwrecks, this section follows the lists of reefs below.

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Shipwrecks & Reefs Pages

Northwest | Big Bend| Northeast | Central West | Central East | Southwest |Southeast | Keys Upper . Middle . Lower

Shipwrecks & Reefs Alphabetical List

Adelaide Baker - Monroe Middle
Adolph Busch
- Monroe Lower
Air Force Relay Towers - Collier
Alligator Reef - Monroe Upper
Amesbury - Monroe Lower
Ancient Mariner - Broward
Antonio Ensenat - Sarasota
Aquarius Lab - Monroe Upper
Archer Key - Monroe Lower
Baja California - Collier
Bay Keys - Monroe Lower
Bay Ronto - Sarasota
Benwood - Monroe Upper
Bibb - Monroe Upper
Biscayne Bay National Park - Miami-Dade
Blackthorn - Pinellas
Boca Grande Key - Monroe Lower
Captain Dan - Broward
Carysfort Reef - Monroe Upper
Carysfort Trench - Monroe Upper
Caymen Salvor - Monroe Lower
Cayo Agua Keys - Monroe Lower
Cheeca Rocks - Monroe Upper
Christ of the Abyss - Monroe
City of Vera Cruz - Brevard
Coffins Patch - Monroe Middle
Conch Reef - Monroe Upper
Content Keys - Monroe Lower
East Content Keys - Monroe Lower
Copenhagen - Broward
Cotton Key - Monroe Upper
Cottrell Key - Monroe Lower
Crane Key - Monroe Lower
Crocker Reef - Monroe Upper
Crocodile Lake - Monroe Upper
Davis Reef - Monroe Upper
Dove Key - Monroe Upper
Dry Tortugas - Monroe Lower
Duane - Monroe Upper

The Eagle - Monroe Upper
Eastern Dry Rocks
- Monroe Lower
The Elbow - Monroe Upper
Fin Barge - Manatee
HMS Fowey - Miami-Dade
French Reef - Monroe Upper
Georges Valentine - Martin
Gercian Rocks Reef - Monroe Upper
Half Moon - Miami-Dade
Harbor Key - Monroe Lower
Upper Harbor Key - Monroe Lower
Hen and Chickens Reef - Monroe Upper
Horseshoe Key - Monroe Lower
Horseshoe Reef - Monroe Upper
Jeff A Hovercraft - Bay
Joe Patti Reef
Joe's Tug - Monroe Lower
John Pennekamp - Monroe Upper
Key Largo Dry Rocks - Monroe Upper
Key Largo EMA - Monroe Upper
Laertes aka The Dutch Wreck - Brevard
Lake Surprise - Monroe Upper
Legare Anchorage - Miami-Dade
Lofthus - Palm Beach
Looe Key - Monroe Lower
Lugano - Miami-Dade
Lynn Silvertooth - Sarasota
Marker 32 - Monroe Lower
Marker 48 - Monroe Middle
Marquesas Keys - Monroe Lower
Marvin Keys - Monroe Lower
Monica Lee - Okaloosa
Mohawk - Lee
Molasses Reef - Monroe Upper
Mud Keys - Monroe Lower
Mule Key - Monroe Lower
Nathan F. Cobb - Volusia
9 Foot Stake - Monroe Lower
Newfound Harbor - Monroe Lower
Nohab - Manatee
North American - Monroe Middle
North Dry Rocks - Monroe Upper

North East Patch - Monroe Upper
The Nursery - Broward
Oriskany - Escambia
Pelican Shoal
- Monroe Lower
Pickles Reef - Monroe Upper
Regina - Manatee
Rock Key - Monroe Lower
Rodriguez Key - Monroe Upper
Ronald B Johnson - Broward
Sand Key - Monroe Lower
San Pedro - Monroe Upper
Sheridan - Pinellas
Shipwreck Trail - The Keys
Shipwreck Trail - Panhandle
Eastern Sambo - Monroe Lower
Western Sambo - Monroe Lower
Sand Island - Monroe Upper
Sawyer Keys - Monroe Lower
Snake Key - Monroe Upper
Snapper Ledge - Monroe Upper
Snipe Keys - Monroe Lower
Sombrero Key - Monroe Middle
Spiegel Grove - Monroe Upper
Tavernier Key - Monroe Upper
Tennessee Reef - Monroe Middle
Thunderbolt - Monroe Middle
Three Sisters Reef - Monroe Upper
Turtle Rocks - Monroe Upper
Turtle Shoal - Monroe Upper
Vandenberg - Monroe Lower
Western Dry Rocks - Monroe Lower
White Bank Dry Rocks - Monroe Upper
Winward Trader/Rodeo 25 - Broward
Wolf Reef - Monroe Upper
Woman Key - Monroe Lower

Shipwrecks & Reefs by Region
>Northwest Big Bend Northeast (coming soon!)
Oriskany - Escambia
Joe Patti Reef
Monica Lee - Okaloosa
Jeff A Hovercraft - Bay
>Central West Central Central East
Blackthorn - Pinellas
Sheridan - Pinellas
Fin Barge - Manatee
Nohab - Manatee
Regina - Manatee
Antonio Ensenat - Sarasota
Bay Ronto - Sarasota
Lynn Silvertooth - Sarasota
  Nathan F. Cobb - Volusia
City of Vera Cruz - Brevard
Laertes aka The Dutch Wreck - Brevard
>Southwest Offshore >Southeast
Mohawk - Lee
Air Force Relay Towers - Collier
Baja California - Collier
Oculina Bank - Atlantic
Pulley Ridge - Gulf
Shipwreck Trail - The Keys
Shipwreck Trail - Panhandle
Georges Valentine - Martin
Lofthus - Palm Beach
Ancient Mariner - Broward
Captain Dan - Broward
Copenhagen - Broward
The Nursery - Broward
Ronald B Johnson - Broward
Winward Trader/Rodeo 25 - Broward
Biscayne Bay National Park - Miami-Dade
HMS Fowey - Miami-Dade
Half Moon - Miami-Dade
Legare Anchorage - Miami-Dade
Lugano - Miami-Dade
>The Keys - Upper >The Keys - Middle > The Keys - Lower
Alligator Reef - Monroe Upper
Aquarius Lab - Monroe Upper
Benwood - Monroe Upper
Bibb - Monroe Upper
Carysfort Reef - Monroe Upper
Carysfort Trench - Monroe Upper
Cheeca Rocks - Monroe Upper
Christ of the Abyss - Monroe
Conch Reef - Monroe Upper
Cotton Key - Monroe Upper
Crocker Reef - Monroe Upper
Crocodile Lake - Monroe Upper
Davis Reef - Monroe Upper
Dove Key - Monroe Upper
Duane - Monroe Upper
The Eagle - Monroe Upper
The Elbow - Monroe Upper
French Reef - Monroe Upper
Gercian Rocks Reef - Monroe Upper
Hen and Chickens Reef - Monroe Upper
Horseshoe Reef - Monroe Upper
John Pennekamp - Monroe Upper
Lake Surprise - Monroe Upper
Key Largo Dry Rocks - Monroe Upper
Key Largo EMA - Monroe Upper
Molasses Reef - Monroe Upper
North Dry Rocks - Monroe Upper
North East Patch - Monroe Upper
Pickles Reef - Monroe Upper
Rodriguez Key - Monroe Upper
San Pedro - Monroe Upper
Sand Island - Monroe Upper
Snake Key - Monroe Upper
Snapper Ledge - Monroe Upper
Spiegel Grove - Monroe Upper
Tavernier Key - Monroe Upper
Three Sisters Reef - Monroe Upper
Turtle Rocks - Monroe Upper
Turtle Shoal - Monroe Upper
White Bank Dry Rocks - Monroe Upper
Wolf Reef - Monroe Upper
>
Adelaide Baker - Monroe Middle
Coffins Patch - Monroe Middle
Marker 48 - Monroe Middle
North American - Monroe Middle
Sombrero Key - Monroe Middle
Tennessee Reef - Monroe Middle
Thunderbolt - Monroe Middle
>
Adolph Busch - Monroe Lower
Amesbury - Monroe Lower
Archer Key - Monroe Lower
Bay Keys - Monroe Lower
Boca Grande Key - Monroe Lower
Caymen Salvor - Monroe Lower
Cayo Agua Keys - Monroe Lower
Content Keys - Monroe Lower
East Content Keys - Monroe Lower
Cottrell Key - Monroe Lower
Crane Key - Monroe Lower
Dry Tortugas - Monroe Lower
Eastern Dry Rocks - Monroe Lower
Harbor Key - Monroe Lower
Upper Harbor Key - Monroe Lower
Horseshoe Key - Monroe Lower
Joe's Tug - Monroe Lower
Looe Key - Monroe Lower
Marker 32 - Monroe Lower
Marquesas Keys - Monroe Lower
Marvin Keys - Monroe Lower
Mud Keys - Monroe Lower
Mule Key - Monroe Lower
9 Foot Stake - Monroe Lower
Newfound Harbor - Monroe Lower
Pelican Shoal - Monroe Lower
Rock Key - Monroe Lower
Sand Key - Monroe Lower
Eastern Sambo - Monroe Lower
Western Sambo - Monroe Lower
Sawyer Keys - Monroe Lower
Snipe Keys - Monroe Lower
Vandenberg - Monroe Lower
Western Dry Rocks - Monroe Lower
Woman Key - Monroe Lower

 

Lost & Found - Interesting Shipwrecks

200 Year Old Wreck Discovered 2012

satelite map of the gulf of mexico showing Okeanos Explorer's 56 day drip 2012NOAA's Okeanos Explorer ship discovered a copper-plated wooden-hulled ship believed to be 200 years old. Using underwater robots with lights and HD cameras they photographed remnants of the vessel with included glass bottles, ceramic plates, canons, anchors, boxes of muskets and a rare ships stove.

The shipwreck was originally discovered during a 2011 oil and gas survey for Shell Oil Company, identified by sonar in 4,000 feet of water, 200 miles off Florida's Gulf coast. NOAA was notified and the exploration of the site conducted in 2012.

The Okeanos Explorer's 2012 journey between April and May 2012 is shown on this satellite image; the exact location of the new shipwreck is being kept a secret.

For more pictures of the 2012 trip visit the Okeanos Explorer's website. Read the full NOAA Report.
This amazing video is of the shipwreck site showing artifacts.

 

Zalophus - John Ringling's Personal Yacht

Old image of the yacht zalophusWe ran across a fascinating story researching the Sarasota shipwreck Zalophus, which sank in 1930 about a mile off Lido Key. This 125 foot luxury yacht was owned by John & Mabel Ringling. He owned several yachts, the one prior to the Zalophus called Vidoffner II, burned. The Ringlings purchased the new Zalophus for a whopping $200,000, equipping it with every luxury available at the time. Zalophus was docked in the Ringlings back yard and was used mostly to tour distinguished guests around his real estate developments. John wasn't much of a boater, so he let many big wiggs use his boat to entertain.

The Zalophus, which only drew 4 feet of water, found its resting place after hitting a rock in Sarasota's Big Pass February 4, 1930. Settling on the bottom in 12 feet of water, the ships smokestack was visible from the shore until it broke up in a storm, scattering its contents to unknown resting places. Expensive doors, chairs, boxes and other items were found many days after the sinking and returned to the Ringlings.

There was a big scandal in 1958 after the doctor who treated two injured passengers leaked a secret about the sinking ? the Mayor of New York City, Jimmy Walker and his mistress, the beautiful actress Betty Compton, were on the boat when it sunk. The mayor and his mistress escaped the disaster by taking a launch and went to Fort Myers. A few days later the mayor returned to the Ringling estate on Barron Collier's yacht, alone. The mayor was quite an overzealous character that was charged with corruption after the depression broke out due to his free-wheeling adventures.

The only mention of Zalophus's location is on NOAA’s AWOIS list which is out of date because the ship is no longer there. We have the coordinates on our Sarasota's reef chart just for the fun of it; you never know if artifacts might resurface someday.

A Sarasota Magazine article mentions the Spanish Main Treasure Company found the still-intact deck of the vessel and applied for a permit from the State of Florida to salvage the wreck. There is no date on this article and we couldn't find anything more on this. So the ships whereabouts and salvage efforts are a mystery, to us anyway. Read this story to get the full details of the sinking.

Did you know John Ringling died at 70 with $311 in the bank. He was one of the wealthiest men at one time. He died just 5 days before they were going to bankrupt him and take everything. He willed his estate to the State of Florida which was lucky for us or it would have been liquidated. Image Source: Sarasota County History Center

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