The Padre Island Underwater Park, which is sometimes simply referred to as "The Artificial Reef," is part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's innovative program, Rigs to Reefs, which transforms run out oil rigs into habitats for marine life. Located just off the Texas / Mexico border, off South Padre Island, it is home to a wealth of marine life. Grab your favorite dive partner, because the Lone Star State offers some exceptional diving and this is one of the best dive sites in Texas.
Marine Life and More
If you've never met a scorpionfish, be sure you check your Fish ID before you go. These fish are wonderfully efficient at camouflaging themselves, hiding on reefs and wrecks in abundance, and they remain true to form here. With ragged looking skin that gives them the appearance of clumps of algae covered rock or coral, they have sharp spines on their dorsal fins that deliver a powerful sting. All you need to do is keep your distance, and you'll be fine. Scorpionfish are nature's way of keeping us divers from touching things we shouldn't!
In addition to the scorpionfish, you'll find lots of tuscalated blennies, plenty of curious little arrow crabs, loads of tropical fish, and an abundance of gamefish, all enjoying life on a pair of oil rig jackets, a Navy repair barge, and a sunken oceangoing tugboat. The tug is 60 feet long and sits upright and intact on the seabed. For divers qualified to penetrate wrecks, it offers two wheelhouses to explore, and it's engine room is also interesting to see. The Navy barge is 150 feet long, and is sitting on its side, approximately 100 yards to the tug's east. Due to its position, it is accessible at a depth of just 40 feet. Maximum depth here is just 72 feet of water, with areas that are suitable for open water training as well as more advanced dive classes.
42 miles north of the South Padre Jetties, another 8 rigs are scattered at depths between 150 and 220 feet. Here, the fish are present en masse: fleets of spadefish, silvery lookdowns, cocoa damselfish, butterflyfish, and angelfish are numerous. Larger inhabitants include tarpon and jewfish, and, if you are very lucky, you might encounter spinner dolphins or even a whale shark.
Other areas to explore include:
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Seven and One-Half Fathom Reef, located about 2 miles off the beach north of Port Mansfield. Here, purple mouth morays, well-disguised toadfish, sea horses, and other reef inhabitants occupy cracks and crevices, staying well out of reach of the snappers, jacks, barracudas, and groupers that hunt them. Keep an eye out for fossils; this site was once on land and served as a watering hole for mastodons, mammoths, and other prehistoric creatures.
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Port Mansfield Liberty Ship Reef, where a trio of 400 foot liberty ships were intentionally sunk during the 1970's. These wrecks are sitting upright at a depth of 100 feet, and are accompanied by a number of donated gas and oil structures.
These are just a few of the most exciting areas to dive around South Padre Island. With an abundance of marine life, excellent wreck diving, and plenty to see and do topside, this area has something for everyone.