Reef Dives: Flower Gardens

The Flower Gardens has an amazing ecosystem with large fish, sponges, corals, and grunts making this ledge a dive filled with life and vivid colors.

The Flower Gardens has a shallow ledge that contains both an inside and outside drop.  The outside ledge has several fingers and starts at 40 feet then slopes down to 70 feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LtOUUmbqTE

Flower Gardens West Palm Beach Wiki

An outside edge, with several fingers extending seaward.

[caption id="attachment_506" align="alignleft" width="300"] Flower Garden West Palm Beach[/caption]

Depths about 52 feet on top of the fingers, 70 feet in sand between.

Edges on both sides and west end of the fingers.

In bright sunshine, perhaps the most colorful reef in the area.

Profuse sponge and coral growth, and clouds of grunts so large fellow divers cannot be seen on the other side of the school.

All the common reef fish in abundance. (courtesy Wadespage)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkqp_50xXIE

The article Reef Dives: Flower Gardens was first published on Florida Scuba Diving

Reef Dives: Cable Crossing

This reef takes its name from the large communication cable that runs through the area. The reef lies in 25 feet of water and consists of a series of 4- to 5-foot ledges and mini caves.

This is the standard Palm Beach drift dive. Excellent for beginners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBRwsJ_mOmg

Cable Crossing West Palm Beach Wiki

Located in 20 feet of water, just south of the Breakers Hotel, this natural reef is a series of ledges from 4 to 5 feet

[caption id="attachment_502" align="alignleft" width="300"] Cable Crossing West Palm Beach[/caption]

in length and is peppered with holes that house juvenile fish and other marine life.

This is perfect for the novice and for snorkeling or just passing time during your surface intervals before you can go back down.

This site gets its name from the large communications cable that runs through the area.

Very close to but not actually a part of the Breakers Reef. (Adiscuba)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBRDDiJicAE

The article Reef Dives: Cable Crossing was first published on Florida Scuba Diving

Reef Dives: Breakers Reef

Breaker’s Reef is an excellent drift dive area running nearly two miles north and south with dramatic undercut ledges, overhangs, and swim-throughs.

Don't be surprised if you come across Goliath grouper, a school of squid or loggerhead turtles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K3nFn4ZWAo

Breakers Reef West Palm Beach Wiki

The Breakers Reef system runs for nearly 2 miles off the beach front hotel that gives it the name.

It's the most heavily dived reef in the area for the reason that it's be best in the area.

Every form of native sea life resides here, and in great numbers.

Breakers Shallow

[caption id="attachment_498" align="alignleft" width="300"] Breakers Reef West Palm Beach[/caption]

An inside ledge 30 feet in the sand with fingers and undercuts. Rises 8-10 feet in places to 20 feet on top.

No current, plenty of juvenile tropicals and many invertebrates. This site frequently used by instructors to give students their first saltwater dives, and frequented by private boats.

One of the few places in the Riviera Beach area where the 30 foot reefline is well developed.

Breakers South

Broken patchy inside reef with not much definition to the edge. Over 200 yards across at widest point.

Patches of sand throughout the reef, many small ledges and undercuts. Good lobster territory, as many hiding places.

Many individual ecosystems as tropicals find lots of hiding places. Depth 49 feet on top sloping to about 60. (via WadesPage)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXKSaWgYIb4

The article Reef Dives: Breakers Reef was first published on Florida Scuba Diving

Reef Dives: Bath and Tennis

Located in water ranging from 40-65 feet deep, this natural reef is just east of Mar-a-Lago, the “Trump” seaside mansion and directly offshore from the Bath and Tennis Club of Palm Beach (its namesake).

If you come inshore to very shallow water – about 10 feet deep, you’ll find the sand is discolored – this is where an old shipwreck lies.

Not much is left to see – but the reef itself is abundant with marine life and the little nooks and holes in the reef house lobster. (Adiscuba)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4N6rBXZ4p8

Bath & Tennis Reef West Palm Beach Wiki

In bright sunshine Bath & Tennis reef becomes alive with colors.

[caption id="attachment_494" align="alignleft" width="300"] Bath and Tennis Reef West Palm Beach[/caption]

Depths in this area range from 43 feet to 65 feet.

Inshore in 10 feet of water the remnants of a vintage shipwreck can be seen.

Locating this area may be difficult so look for the discoloration of the bottom sand.

The entire area is oblong in shape and is about 1/4 mile long. The current is generally not an issue at this location.

Broken edges and stretches of ridges provide areas for schools of fish and lobsters to reside. (Source: Divespots)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsyESIaRA3k

The article Reef Dives: Bath and Tennis was first published on Florida Scuba Diving

Wreck Dives: Amaryllis Wreck

Located in 85 feet of water a mile NE of the Palm Beach Inlet and just 300 yards from the Mizpah – this 445 foot banana freighter has its upper deck removed, but the lower deck and helm are intact.

The engines and mechanical systems are covered with soft corals and attract a wide variety of marine life.(Adiscuba)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlUc-B9jB_g

Amaryllis Wreck West Palm Beach Wiki

Amaryllis was a cargo ship built in 1945 at Burrard Dry Dock in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

[caption id="attachment_489" align="alignleft" width="280"] courtesy of Shipwreckexpo[/caption]

She was 441.6 feet (134.6 m) long and measured 7,147 gross register tons.

Originally named Cromwell Park, she was built for the government of Canada to be used in World War II.

In 1946 she was sold to Canadian Transportation Co. Ltd. which renamed her the Harmac Vancouver. In 1948, she was sold to Greek shipowner Kydoniefs, renamed the Amaryllis and registered in Panama.

In 1965, she ran aground during Hurricane Betsy off the coast of Florida and was later sunk offshore as an artificial reef. (Wikipedia)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2PRsGUTRGE

The article Wreck Dives: Amaryllis Wreck was first published on Florida Scuba Diving

Wreck Dive: Hog Heaven

Hog Heaven is a 180-foot barge that lies upside down in 64 feet of water. Another barge, the Wayne, is close by along with debris sunk to help reefs form.

Easy dive. Some current at the surface, much less at the bottom. Beautiful artificial reef with an abundance of marine life. Plenty jacks, angelfish, and stingray.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQwhZjN7RlU

Hog Heaven Wreck Fort Lauderdale Wiki

Hog Heaven is a 180-foot barge that lies upside down in 64 feet of water.

[caption id="attachment_484" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hog Heaven Fort Lauderdale[/caption]

While traveling to be sunk as an artificial reef, this ship flipped upside down.

The barge was owned by Western Contractors Company of Iowa and was sunk in 1986.

In 1988, a dredge pipe and concrete bridge beams were added to the site to help foster the formation of an artificial reef.

In the same area is the 70-foot barge, Wayne, about 200 feet northeast. The remains of the Pacific Reef Lighthouse are also nearby. This debris was sunk in 1989 to form an artificial reef. (courtesy of Divespots)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS8DFDmddRI

The article Wreck Dive: Hog Heaven was first published on Florida Scuba Diving

Reef Dive: Hammerhead Reef

Hammerhead is a reef that extends for over two miles from the Dania Pier almost to Port Everglades Cut.

A great spot for a reef drift dive.  In places, this coral reef reaches to 24′ from the sand and has nooks and crannies, ledges and overhangs that are great hiding spots for lobsters, turtles, eels and fish.

Southern Stingrays are frequently spotted here as well. (via Seaxp.com)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aud42huzjWg

Hammerhead Reef Fort Lauderdale Wiki

Beginning a half-mile south of Port Everglades, Hammerhead Reef stretches for 2.5 miles and ends at the Dania Pier.

[caption id="attachment_480" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hammerhead Reef Fort Lauderdale[/caption]

The base of the reef lies in 80 feet of water on the eastern side and in 60 feet on the western side.

The reef rises to as high as 18 feet in some places.

Hammerhead Reef contains many undercuts and ledges which provide shelter for an abundance of tropical marine life.

Southern Stingrays can often be found buried in the sand along the edges of the reef.

This is a popular drift dive for both private and charter dive boats. (courtesy of Lauderdale Diver)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZvd7b1kfWA

The article Reef Dive: Hammerhead Reef was first published on Florida Scuba Diving