The State of Florida, has so much to offer divers that it simply becomes overwhelming when you have to decide which activity to pick. One of the great activities for a Scuba Diving enthusiasts  who loves  a combination of history and diving or whether you simply want to dive at an interesting  a site that has and even more interesting back story, then visit any one of Florida’s Underwater Archaeological Preserves  also known as the Museums in the sea and you are sure not leave disappointed.

In 1987 Florida began to develop a system of underwater state park featuring historical wrecks and sites across the state. Currently there are 11 preserves comprising mostly of shipwrecks just off the coast of Florida. The preserves contain archaeological sites ranging in age from hundreds-of-years-old  colonial Spanish shipwrecks, to World War II wrecks.  Each site is marked by an underwater plaque which provides divers with the details of the site and the history. Brochures and laminated underwater guides are also available from local dive shops that provide divers with extensive information about each wreck and how to view the site. The underwater parks are open to the public year round, and free of charge. The Museums of the sea website is a great place to start gathering information about the dive sites nearest to the city you are visiting in Florida, and offer videos footage on each wreck as well.

Some of the more interesting wrecks that form a part of the Archaeological preserve are the USS Massachusetts which lies off the coast of Pensacola, which is a 340 foot battleship that was scuttled in 1921. The wreck is teeming with marine life, and the spectacle of this warship with its majestic gun turrets is simply breathtaking.

The wreck of the Spanish merchant Galleon “San Pedro” located in just 18 feet of water off the Indian Key south Florida is one of the oldest wrecks. Sunk during a hurricane in 1733 while the San Pedro was headed for Spain, this wreck offers divers a spectacular view of cannons and anchors lying in the surrounding turtle grass.

The other preserves that form a part of the Museums of the sea are the SS Tarpon, Vamar, City of Hawkinsville, Regina, Half Moon, SS Copenhagen, Lofthus, Georges Valentine and the Urca De Lima.  Each site is easily accessible using local dive operators, and be sure to read up on your wreck to make the experience a more meaningful one.

Photos By: andrewl04 , doug.deep

A unique and unusual dive site off the coast of Key Largo, Florida has been drawing attention and attracting thousands of Scuba divers and snorkelers alike for more than just its reef and marine life. In the midst of this dive site, a spectacular bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ stands 81/2 feet tall in 25 feet of water with a grandeur like no other. Christ’s arms raised towards the surface in a pose offering peace, the underwater statue has a presence that has made it one of the most famous and visited underwater sites on Earth.

Created by Guido Galletti, the original “Il Cristo degli Abissi” or ‘Christ of the Abyss’ was made after an idea from Italian swimmer / diver Duilio Marcante. The First statue was placed near the spot where Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, died in 1947. Placed in 1954, this Statue of Christ is located in the Mediterranean sea off San Fruttuoso between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera, where it still stands today.

The Second statue cast from the same mold was placed underwater off the coast of St George in the Caribbean. The Third Christ sculpture presented to the Underwater Society of America in New York in 1962 is the one that lies in Dry Rocks, around six miles North east of Key Largo in the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Florida.

Also known as ‘Christ of the Deep’ the 400 pound statue attached to a 20,000 pound concrete base, stands in a shallow reef and has splendid and massive brain coral formations flanking it’s surroundings. The sandy clearing it lies in is home to large spotted Eagle Rays and Southern Stingrays, while it’s base is encrusted with flat coral and sponges.

One of the most heavily visited underwater structures of all times, the Christ dive site is very popular location for underwater weddings and nearly 200 couples say (or write) their “I do’s” here each year. However popular for good reason, the site can be a bit cumbersome to dive because of how shallow the water can be. A caution to fellow divers who wish to dive here, is a need to exercise good buoyancy control and not use your buoyancy compensators as much to avoid bumping into the coral. The tell tales signs of significant damage site has experienced from incompetent divers and snorkelers who stand on or touch the corals is clear and if proper care isn’t taken the site just won’t be the same for very long.

A true Jubilee for the divers, the Christ of Abyss is a must-dive site , if you can over come the crowd of snorkelers and divers present at any time. A spectacle that can only be experienced and not described, the Christ statue has a presence underwater which can be felt when you dive there.

* Photos by gergobacsi on flickr

For those of you that think Scuba Diving is much to sedate to even be considered a sport, you have definitely not heard of people taking the plunge at these Extreme dive sites.

A far cry from the usual leisurely diving at tropical islands in the Caribbean or the coral reefs around the World, extreme diving is testing new waters to say the least. With many people looking to the sport for an adrenalin rush, divers are pushing the envelope of diving and challenging themselves with some pretty extreme conditions at the most unusual dive sites. Instead of heading to warmer waters they dive beneath the ice, from high visibility clear pristine waters they venture into murky dark caves  and instead of avoiding the most feared creatures of the sea they’re swimming straight for the shark’s mouth.

Here’s our picks for the Top 3 Extreme Dives in the World:

Cave Diving at Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole, Florida

Considered the ‘Mount Everest’  or the ‘Grand Canyon’ of cave diving, the Eagle’s Nest is one of the most intricate and challenging dive sites one can dive. Located on the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area property, near Weeki Wachee, the sinkhole first appears to be a very unimpressive, scummy-looking pond. Hidden below it astounding depths of around 300 feet (91metres), the Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole in Florida has chambers as large as gymnasiums and crystal-clear water. Only for highly experienced cave divers and the technically sound, the descent the Eagle’s nest is similar to that of a chimney and hundreds of feet below it opens up into a large cavern called “the Main Ballroom”, beyond which are longer tunnels and crannies that go even deeper. While cave diving isn’t for everyone, a number of divers have perished attempting to explore this site in particular. The Sinkhole’s challenging caves and and harsh conditions are not to be taken lightly when considering to dive here. [*Above image- Times photo: Maurice Rivenbark]

Ice Diving at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Antarctica Scuba diving? Yes, in extreme temperatures that often drop below -40°C (-40°F), where no insects, plants nor major life exists here above the ground, people do the unthinkable and plunge into it’s icy waters! McMurdo Sound Antarctica is where divers break through the 1.3-3m (4-10ft) thick ice to enter the freezing cold waters, only to be rewarded by stunning visibility of about 300m (990 ft) and a rich marine life like no other anywhere else in the World. For more read: Extreme Diving: Ice Diving in Antarctica (*above image by high hat beaver moustache man on flickr)

Shark Diving in Nassau, the Bahamas

If you think you would pee in your wetsuit if you saw just one shark, then this dive destination is not for you. The warm Caribbean waters of the Bahama’s attracts plenty of sharks. Operators here offer a number of shark adventure dives including cage diving, watching professional shark wranglers hand-feed reef sharks on the ocean floor in front of you and even surface feeding. With dive sites such as ‘Shark Wall’, ‘Shark Arena’, ‘Runway Wall’ and ‘The Runway’ you will encounter dozens Caribbean Reef Sharks. Watching the sharks eat is amazing, but seeing them cruise by at arm’s length is incredible and and experience. Long Island (Southern Bahamas) is another such dive site for shark diving. Cage diving to feed swarms of mako, bull, and reef sharks is what draws adventurous divers here. The Bahamas is also home to the Tiger shark, Great Hammerhead shark, Lemon shark, Silky shark, Nurse shark and the notorious Bull shark all considered among the most dangerous sharks you can encounter.

(*above images by hankplank on flickr)

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.

Ever since I heard about them, I have always been fascinated by the oceans most unusual creature; the Manatee. Also known as the sea cow, this herbivorous marine mammal is related to that other equally unusual creature, the Dugong which is found in the eastern hemisphere.

Manatees which graze on sea grass normally inhabit the marshy coastal areas of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon Basin and West Africa. However the most popular place to spot manatees and even get a chance to scuba dive or snorkel with them is in Florida.

More specifically, the best place to spot manatees is Crystal River, Florida located 70 miles north of Tampa, which hosts several dive centers that provide you with the opportunity to swim up close and observe these gentle giants. Crystal River is known to have the highest concentration of Manatees recorded anywhere in the world and additionally boasts of  warm 72 degree water all year round which is the reason the area attracts Manatees and Scuba Divers!

Most dive centers in the Crystal River area serve to educate divers about the nature and habitat of manatees from a conservation point of view. Manatees are slow moving creatures and spend most of their day eating and resting. Once hunted for their skin and meat, Manatees are now an endangered species protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Specials Act of 1973, which make it illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill any marine mammal. Additionally the Manatee is specifically protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978 which imposes heavy fines and imprisonment for hunting or harassing them.

The official season for Florida Manatee is early October to the end of March, however manatee can be found in certain sites throughout the year. Apart from diving with Manatees, the Crystal River hosts several clear springs which are extremely popular with divers. The Hunter’s spring, the three sisters’ spring and the King’s spring are some of the favorites. Crystal River is fed by hot springs and has several, underwater caverns, and a wide variety of wildlife such as tarpons, redfish, grouper and dolphins.

So if you haven’t done so already, why not try this is a once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunity, where you can swim alongside these gentle giants as they play, eat, and socialize with one another in the true to its name Crystal River Florida.

photos by: Jim’s outside photos, TalkingTree

The Osborne Reef is an artificially created reef off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida that is constructed using concrete dolos or concrete shaped like ‘jacks.’ Still popular today with divers, this artificial reef is made up of a wreckage of an old 60 foot barge, tires and concrete erojacks or dolos.  The reason for the creation of artificial reefs in this area is due to the fact that the Boward county has a narrow low reef system which provides a very limited habitat for marine life. So to increase the fish population and to provide havens for marine life and coral growth a large number of structures have been sunk or built in the region resulting in fantastic dive sites with over 112 dive sites and around 40 freighters, tugboats and barges between 60-200 feet of water.

However the history of building the Osborne Reef, has been plagued by a series of ups and downs and has been both praised and criticized by environmentalists since the 70’s.

In 1972 a company called BARINC or Boward Artificial Reef Inc which had successfully created artificial reefs in several countries  with the support of the US Army Corps of Engineers, deposited over two million tires bound by steel clips over 36 acres of the ocean floor at a depth of 65 feet underwater.

The project was a disaster, very little marine life migrated to the artificial reef, and those that did, didn’t stay long. The steel clips and nylon ropes that bound together the tires failed over time resulting in the tires drifting away with the slightest of swells and getting washed up on the beach or dragged away into the ocean. The two million tires floating around was an environmental disaster. They would smash into existing coral, litter beaches, and environmentalists were concerned that the tires were toxic causing more harm than good. Hurricanes would deposit tires as far away as North Carolina beaches resulting in severe concerns.

In 2001  and 2002 attempts were made to begin the long an arduous process of tire removal and retrieval which resulted in several millions being spent  and not much success. In 2007 the US Military took up the project to remove the rouge tires and used the opportunity to train recovery divers in the process thereby reducing the estimated cost of $30 million down to $2 million for the project. Divers extract about 1,000 tires from Osborne Reef each day and are expected to continue doing so for the next three to five years. Their goal is to remove about 700,000 of the two-million tires from the reef.

photos by: sniffette, tiswango

Peacock Springs State Park is a 733-acre Florida State Park located on Peacock Springs Road, two miles east of Luraville Florida. The park offers numerous activities such as picnicking, swimming, diving, and wildlife viewing. Of which the most exciting is the unique cave diving experience that the State Park has to offer.

The park has two major springs, a spring run, and six sinkholes-all in near pristine condition. Additionally one of the longest underwater cave systems in the continental United States, about 28,000 feet of underwater passages have been explored and surveyed by cave divers.

Peacock springs comprises of three cave systems: Peacock I, Peacock II (which is not accessible at the surface) and Peacock III.  With a total of nine entrances and exits, Peacock is known as complex karst limestone system. (Karst is a landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks including limestone, dolomite and gypsum. It is characterized by sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage systems) Six of the nine openings are easily accessible; however three of the openings are only used as emergency exits.

The average depth of the system is about 60 feet and is extremely popular with instructors for cave and cavern training to practice skill proficiency since there is virtually no flow. It is also the best place for students to begin or continue cavern/cave diving training as the diversity of the systems and varying depths offers something for everyone.

Certain parts of the Peacock State Park require divers to poses cave or Cavern certification, such as the Peacock 1 and 3 systems. The Orange Grove is one of two areas in the park where cavern diving is allowed.  The open water portion of the basin reaches a depth of fifty to sixty feet.  The cavern zone begins on the downstream side and goes down to around 100 feet.   The upstream entrance starts at seventy feet behind a few trees that have fallen into the sink underwater.  This is a low profile tunnel with a deep silt bottom.

Peacock 3  is a large cavern system which leads to a cave, however the dive site is very silty and should not be done unless you have excellent buoyancy control. The silting also reduces the available light making it even more of a challenge.

The Olsen Sink is a Sink hole that has a very small cavern zone, which enters the cave which leads up to Peacock 1. The silt is very fine and if disturbed will stay suspended for quite a while so stay high off the bottom.

Park Fees

The park has an admission fee of $4.00 per vehicle and $2.00 for Pedestrians. The Scuba Diving Fee is $15.00 per person. All divers must show proof of certification before diving. Open water diving is permitted only in the Orange Grove Sink and no solo diving is permitted.

Photos by tim2k, sharkbait, systemslibrarian

The Blue Grotto located in Williston Florida is then largest clear water cavern in the State.  Offering divers a unique cave diving experience and up to 100’ deep fresh spring water to dive in and explore.

The first thing that will strike you as unusual when you arrive at the Blue Grotto, is the park like atmosphere it is situated in. The area surrounding the cavern is covered in well manicured lawns and houses a dive shop, bathhouses with hot showers and  a score of picnic pavilions where you can enjoy a post dive BBQ with your dive buddies after exploring the caverns.

The second thing that will surprise you is the several ‘additions’ that have been made to the Blue Grotto itself to make it more diver friendly. One of the more unique aspects of Blue Grotto is their fresh compressed air filled “bell” at 30 feet, a safety and novelty feature that allows up to 6 divers to converse with their buddies underwater or stop to take a breather.

The cavern is also illuminated by a one million candle-watt lighting permanent system that illuminates a large part the cavern which is additional illumination to the flashlights provided to the divers. Also underwater are three man made platforms that serve as training areas for open water students and instructors. The grotto also has a system of guideline ropes that lead divers along the cavern  and a highly visible yellow demarcation at 50ft that cautions newer divers not to proceed on. Experienced divers however can explore the lower portions of the grotto.

The mouth of the cavern is around 80ft wide and 20ft high that opens up into a stunningly clear blue pool of fresh spring water that is enough to captivate anyone. It has a large population of fish constantly demanding to be fed by divers, and several turtles that are known to follow you around hoping for hand outs as well.

Admission to the blue Grotto is just $37.30 for the day, which does not include dive gear which can be rented at the dive shop on site. The price of admission includes a short instruction video briefing on the cave and cave diving procedures that are given to all divers before they dive

Overall the Blue Grotto is definitely a unique diving experience for any diver and certainly something you shouldn’t miss the next time you’re in Florida

Photos courtesy: wickity, highlander411 , bluegrotto

As reported by the Sun Sentinel 20^th June 2009,” A proposal to install an electrified artificial reef on the ocean floor off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea has won approval from a key federal agency, making it more likely the high-tech conservation project will get built.

The Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit to the town to work with Global Coral Reef Alliance, of Cambridge, Mass., to install a cluster of metal structures that would use a low-voltage current to stimulate the growth of corals, creating habitat for fish and other marine creatures. The group has used the patented Biorock process to construct artificial reefs in several other countries, including Mexico, Jamaica and Indonesia.”

The electrified reef project will consist of assembling hut like metal structures, to which pieces of living coral would be attached to them. Buoys fitted with solar panels would provide electricity to the structures and draw dissolved minerals from the sea water causing the corals to grow almost five times faster. The contract is estimated to be worth $65,000, but  it is still unclear when the project will commence building.

Photos: Sun Sentinel , Biorock Technology

After a decade of planning and an $8.6 million, the General Hoyt S. Vandenberg was finally sunk on May 27 and is now a public dive site. The Vandenberg is on it’s way to becoming the second largest internationally sunk artificial reef in the world.

Built as transport for US Army troops the USS General Harry Taylor was later renamed USAFS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg in 1963 after it was transferred to the US Navy. She was converted to a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship used to track missiles and space flights and finally decommissioned in 1983 after a good long run. The ship was transferred to the Maritime Administration in 99 and got approval to be sunk to create an artificial reef in Key West in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Sunk recently on the 27th of May this 524-foot-long ship now lies at 140 feet, just 7 miles south of Key West. With the top most part of the Ship at 40 feet the wreck will be accessible to all kinds of divers. Minutes after the 44 explosive charges went off sending this beauty to it’s final resting place a pod of dolphins, barracudas and a turtle checked out the new arrival, a sign of a promising future reef and a divers delight for many years to come.

So if you haven’t yet got a glimpse of this brand new artificial reef here’s a look at the scuttling of the General Hoyt S. Vandenberg little over a month back-

* Photo (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)