Scuba Dive

The Eagle Wreck

Islamorada is actually a village consisting of six islands including Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper and Lower Matecumbe keys, and Long Key.  It is well known for sport fishing, as the bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and redfish are abundant and almost always biting.  But anglers aren’t the only ones who go to Islamorada for the variety and volume of the fish.   Divers flock to the area’s high profile coral heads, broad ledges and wreck cracks and crevices that shelter snapper, grunts, goatfish, angelfish, jacks, porgies, hogfish, barracudas, lobsters, grouper, nurse sharks and moray eels. Islamorada offers a wide variety of shallow and deep coral reefs, mini walls, shipwrecks, and even an underwater habitat for scientific research, the Aquarius.

Visibility in Islamorada waters is between 80-100 feet. The average annual air temperature is 80F degrees while the average water surface temperature is 75° F.  The warmest time of the year to dive is between July and August, but diving is done year round.  Examples of Islamorada dive sites include:

The Eagle Wreck – This 287-foot ship was intentionally sunk in 1985 as part of the Florida Keys Artificial Reef Association program.  She sits in 110 feet of water, although parts of her structure start as shallow as 75 feet.   The ship rests on her starboard side, and is wrapped in encrusting sponge and coral and populated by huge schools of grunt, tarpon, silversides and jack, as well as cobia, jewfish, and nurse sharks.  The Eagle sits in water outside of the protective reef, so while visibility is incredible, the current can sometimes be strong.

Conch Reef/Wall – Here the reef leads to a wall (rare for Key waters) that drops down to a depth of 100 feet.  A proliferation of barrel sponges call this spot home, from thimble sized versions up to larger than life specimens.  The depth is a nice change from other reefs in the Keys, and offers the chance to regularly see pelagic fish in the blue.  The current in this area can run from moderate to strong; in strong times it can be great for drift dives. This site is popular for good, year-round visibility.

Pickles Reef – A long, narrow, spur and groove reef with plenty of opportunity to observe macro critters like flamingo tongue cowries and banded coral shrimp.  At a maximum depth of 25 feet, this spot is perfect for a long second dive with an underwater camera. If anyone can tell me why this site is named after a sandwich condiment, I would appreciate being enlightened.

The San Jose and the Infante Wrecks – Two galleons belonging to the famous Silver Plate Fleet of 1733 were lost in a hurricane off the Keys and went down within a mile of one another, both in quite shallow water (15 feet).  Not much is left of the Infante except some timber planking originally from the ship’s deck and her uniquely shaped ballast stones. The San Jose collided with the sand flats, where her stern section disintegrated and became detached from the main hull which sank another 200 yards away with its ballast stones.  An easily-accessible window into history.

Davis Reef – This popular outer reef on the edge of a flat shallow bank attracts huge schools of fish including grunts and schoolmaster snapper.  Several personable green moray eels have also added to this site’s fame.  Nurse sharks, turtles, parrotfish, angelfish, lobsters and other types of eels frequent this spot, giving visitors plenty to see.  Divers of all skill levels can appreciate the reef, which starts shallow and reaches down to 80 feet.  A statue of Buddha sits on a concrete block in the middle of the site, adding to the serenity of the dive.