Dry Tortugas Best Dive Sites: From Sherwood Forest To The Araby Maid

Located nearly seventy miles west of Key West, the Dry Tortugas are a cluster of seven coral reefs, which are surrounded by shoals and crystal clear blue water.  The Dry Tortugas National Park is world -renowned for its avian and marine life, as well as for its legendary shipwrecks and tales of pirates and lost treasure.  There is no fresh water here, which explains why the original name “Las Tortugas”, which was given to the area by Ponce de Leon in 1513, was changed.  Let’s take a brief look at what makes this area such a paradise for divers and snorkelers alike!

 

 

Sherwood Forest is an idyllic spot for diving, with depth at about 45 feet in most places and a few canyons that drop to 80 feet.  You’ll find fantastically colorful coral and sponge growth here, along with a variety of tropical fish in every color, shape, and size imaginable.  Visibility of up to 120 feet makes this site perfect for underwater photography, and as wonderful as it is, it is relatively secluded so your   chances of sharing it with just a few other divers are good!

 

Keep an eye out for the large jewfish guarding their nests, and look for big groupers and lots of yellowtail snappers. Beautiful blue tangs and blue parrotfish, plus all sorts of damsels, angelfish, and butterfly fish abound.   Watch for sharks and turtles, too!

 

 

Located on Loggerhead Reef, to the south of Loggerhead Key, is the wreck of the Norwegian barque, Avanti, which was lost on January 22, 1907 while en route to Uruguay from Pensacola.  Originally called the Killean, the ship boasted an iron hull and three masts, and was built in Scotland, in 1875.  At a little more than 261 feet long, and with a beam of just over 39 feet, this ship was a major find for the 1971 archaeological crew that located it!  

The wreck has been split into two main sections, each a bit more than 110 feet long, and lies beneath just 22 feet of water.  The bowsprit and foremast are still attached to the bow section, while the main and mizzen masts remain with the aft section.  Covered in fantastic coral growth and home to an amazing array of marine life large and small, this ship is accessible to all divers and is the perfect spot to enjoy underwater photography or videography.  Watch for the turtles that call the windjammer wreck their home, and keep an eye out for large tarpon and groupers.  Brilliant tropical fish are everywhere, as are invertebrates large and small!   

 

 

Built in 1944, the U-2513 was a type XXI Nazi U-boat, 252 feet long.  She was equipped with advanced sonar capability, plus she had six torpedo tubes positioned in her bow.  She was one of the few “elektroboats” manufactured during the final year of the war, and possessed plenty of battery power and an advanced hull design that allowed her to dive deeper and stay submerged for longer periods of time than her predecessors could.  Thankfully for Allied forces, this U-boat and her 11 sisters were not ready in time to make a difference for the Axis powers. 

 

The sub was captured and after being studied, it was towed to its present location, 23 miles northeast of the Dry Tortugas, to be used for target practice.  She has been here since 1951, and was off-limits to recreational divers until the late 1980’s, but today, this once-terrible machine of war has acquired a fantastic coating of deep water coral and sponge growth, and is one of the most coveted deep dives in Florida.  She lies beneath 214 feet of water, with damage to the fore and aft of the conning tower, which is still intact.  Her sail lies to the starboard side, while you can see the U-2513’s anti submarine weapons, or hedgehogs, on the port side.  Watch for large sharks, big barracudas, tarpon, jacks, and other game fish as you explore this incredible historic wreck!

 

 

The Rhein was built in 1926, by the Hamburg-America line, in Hamburg, Germany.  The 439 foot freighter had left neutral Mexican waters on December 7th of 1940, and was approaching Florida, when it was spotted by US and Allied ships in the area.  On the morning of December 11th, the Rhein was trapped by the US warship Van Kinsbergen, which shot a warning over her bow.  Rather than surrendering peacefully, the Rhein’s crew decided to set their ship on fire and fight back.  After a skirmish, some of the crew was captured, others had been killed, and some had committed suicide rather than submitting to capture by the allies.  With the ship still on fire, and all prisoners secure, allied forces finally fired 22 six-inch projectiles at the Rhein, sending her to the bottom.  

 

Today, the ship’s ghostly remains lie beneath 250 feet of peaceful blue water.  Her deck can be accessed at 200 feet, and while the kingposts are slanted back toward the stern, they are still intact.  The wheelhouse is still standing, as well, since most of the damage is in the ship’s stern.  You can see the effects of the fire for yourself, as the glass in the remaining portholes is cracked and bubbled.  One compartment, dubbed the beer room, holds crates of beer bottles, some of which fused together in the intense heat.  Others are intact and still contain German beer, which is of course undrinkable.  Watch for big sharks and barracuda, and listen for the dolphins that sometimes come to hunt the thousands of baitfish that swirl around the wreck.  

 

 

Located a few miles to the north / northwest of Garden Key, Texas Rock is really a huge patch reef.  The top of the reef platform is at about 24 feet, while the seabed from which it rises is at 60 feet in the deepest areas.  Massive pinnacles and spectacular canyons define the reef’s western edge, and beautiful star coral, brain coral, and pillar corals are everywhere you look.  Fantastic sea fans and whips add color and movement to the reef, which is occupied by all kinds of fish, from big barracudas to tiny damsels.  Large amberjacks and jewfish, plus big red groupers are here in abundance, and all the grottoes that surround the reef are packed with invertebrates.  There is a current here which makes the site best for intermediate divers and up. 

 

 

Fort Jefferson was a Union military prison for captured deserters during the Civil War, but it was abandoned in 1874.  In 1908, the area became a wildlife refuge, and in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared it to be a national monument.  The beautiful beaches that surround it are ideal for sunbathing and relaxing, and you can tour the fort when you’re not snorkeling or diving.  

Beneath the surface, you are very likely to encounter green sea turtles and loggerhead turtles, as well as all kinds of tropical fish.  All along the moat wall, hard and soft corals grow in abundance, side by side with small, colorful sponges.   Juvenile pelagic fish are here in abundance, as are Christmas tree worms, little conchs, and all kinds of crabs.  If you move out, away from the wall, you will find a lot of larger fish, including bigger tropicals, plus you will escape from the many snorkelers that visit to enjoy the wall!  

 

 

The Araby Maid was a 194 foot, 863 ton Norwegian Sailing Barque which was lost in 1903 after a collision with the SS Denver.  She sits upright in 200 feet of water, with her masts lying off to the sides.  You can still see the place where the Denver struck her side, but the ship’s wooden planking is otherwise intact and amazingly sound.  

 

The ship is home to goliath groupers, very territorial jewfish, and some large turtles which use it for a hotel, and despite pillaging by souvenir hunters, there are still some intact portholes, some of them which even contain glass!  The ship’s bell and brass capstan cover were recovered when the ship was identified.  The ship can be penetrated, but only with caution and only by properly trained and equipped wreck divers.  There are still many interesting artifacts and personal effects to be found inside and outside the Araby Maid, but keep in mind that many of the things you might find are homes for small creatures, and remember that future divers will enjoy this wreck a lot more if they can see the same things you do when you arrive!  

 

A visit to the Dry Tortugas is best accomplished with the aid of a liveaboard, although you can take a ferry or seaplane if you want, and some dive shops in Key West do offer day charters to various sites.  However you go about it, be sure to plan your trip well in advance, particularly if you want to visit the deeper wrecks!