The waters off the Florida Keys are home to a time capsule: the famed and eerie Shipwreck Trail. From World War II freighters to 19th-century steamships, these relics of a bygone era are preserved in their watery graves, home to an exotic array of marine life.
The ocean floor is home to centuries’ worth of sunken vessels integrated into marine habitats. Explore extraordinary wrecks around the world and learn how these artificial structures have become a part of the ecosystem–and in some cases, a vital tool in reversing the effects of human impact.
Florida Keys: Shipwreck Trail
Within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary lies a trail of historic shipwrecks, scattered along the coral reefs and buried in the sandy shallows a few miles off shore. The nine ships along this Shipwreck Trail have many tales to tell, from the stories of individuals who came before us to why they were here and their difficulties in navigating these waters.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the sites along the trail. An underwater guide is available for each site on the Shipwreck Trail, providing the shipwreck and mooring buoy positions, history, a site map, and information about marine life divers might encounter. Conditions on the Shipwreck Trail sites vary from easy dives in shallow water to deeper dives of l00 feet or more where swift currents may be encountered. Some of the deeper sites require mooring to submerged buoys.