Off the coast of Pensacola Florida, lies the former US Navy Aircraft carrier the USS Oriskany, after having served the US Navy in both Korea and Vietnam, the 900 foot, 30,000 ton carrier decommissioned in 1976 was deliberately sunk in the Gulf of Mexico in 2006 as part of a pilot program which aimed to create artificial reefs. Apart from being one of the first navy ships to be used to create an artificial reef, the Oriskany is also the largest artificial reef in the world created by sinking a ship. The Navy spent around 20 million dollars to clear up and make the ship environmentally friendly and accessible and safe to divers.
Nicknamed “the Great Carrier Reef”, The USS Oriskany sits upright in 212 feet of water and rises almost 164ft from the seabed, just over 20 meters below the surface and the breathtaking flight deck at 140 feet (40 m). The wreck Is now home to abundant marine life such as amber jacks, red snapper, groupers, dolphins and sharks. Large Barracuda often circle ominously around the towering superstructure keeping a watchful eye on divers as they make their way to the wreck.
The wreck is a dive for the more intermediate to advanced divers as reaching the site is quite challenging due to the strong currents. It is advisable to be fully briefed with the layout and carry the necessary Scuba diving equipment such as a dive light before making the dive. Vigilance is key as there’s a lot of things that you could hit your head on, or snag equipment. Equally important is monitoring your depth constantly as it is easy to get carried away in the superstructure. For those that can, Nitrox is recommended to be able to fully appreciate the sheer size of this wreck.
There are numerous dive operators in Pensacola that offer dives to the wreck, but choose one that handles smaller batches and lays greater emphasis to safety and briefings as there are several thousands of divers that make this dive each year often being herded to the site packed in overcrowded dive boats. Also try to ensure that you descend to the superstructure area where there is a lot more to see, or you’ll be in for a long swim trying to span those football field sized flight decks.
One way to make the trip more memorable is to ensure you do some research on the ship to understand the history of the vessel before you dive and I’m sure this dive will leave you somewhat speechless.
