Two of my greatest pleasures enjoyed in the Florida Keys are having the
opportunity to see what is beneath the crystal waters and catching the
fish that roam these same seas.

Diving, both SCUBA & Snorkeling, and Fishing draws millions of visitors
to the Keys annually. Locals, like myself, get to enjoy this fun nearly
300 days a year if we like, and we like.
All this puts an enormous amount of pressure on the Coral Reefs and
surrounding seas. One method to relieve the burden has been through
Artificial Reefs. Ships that have outlived their seaworthiness are
deliberately sunk in areas adjacent, but some distance, to the reef
line.

Intentionally sinking ships is not unique to the Florida Keys but this
area may have the highest concentration of these submerged vessels.

The USS Spiegel Grove, sunk of Key Largo, is now the largest vessel
ever intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. The vessel is 510 feet
in length, 84 feet wide. It was a long journey. The Key Largo Chamber
of Commerce bought the Spiegel Grove in 1998 but did not submerge until
May 2002.

In Key West they are trying to scuttle one even larger. The USAFS Gen.
Hoyt S. Vandenberg, at over 520 feet and 13,000 tons, will become the
largest ship ever intentionally plunged to the depths. The Spiegel
Grove's long voyage to Key Largo will have nothing on the Vandenberg's.
It was chosen in 1996 by Artificial Reefs of the Keys. Currently this
former troop transport is on the James river in Newport News, Virginia,
its berth since 1984. The next step will be to be towed to a nearby
shipyard and begin cleaning. ARK is now estimating they are about one
year away from the Vandenberg becoming home to 400 pound Goliath
Groupers, Amberjack and huge schools of Snapper.

For more information on Florida Keys Shipwrecks, both real and
artificial check this page.
http://floridakeystreasures.com/keysshipwrecks/