Gulf Coast - An excellent wreck dive is the Bay Ronto, a 122-metre/400-foot British freighter sunk in 1919. Now sitting at 33 metres/100 feet, it is home to abundant sea life. Siesta Key’s Point of Rocks is a remarkable location that features natural limestone rock formations otherwise known as beach rock.
Crystal River – Kings Bay is a prime dive area here. This tranquil, spacious bay features a group of fresh water springs that make for fun and exciting diving with caverns, rock formations and a multitude of fish. Manatees, the main attraction, can grow up to 4 metres/12 feet long and can weigh more than 680 kilograms/1500 pounds. They take advantage of the warm water in Kings Bay and provide a rare opportunity for people to join them in the water.
Southeast Coast – The Gulf Stream makes its closest approach to the shoreline along Florida’s southeast coast. Drift diving effortlessly carries you along rows of spectacular coral reefs and clouds of colorful fish. Divers will find a string of wrecks running from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. There are also three former oil platforms called the Tenneco Towers. Sites include a 20-metre/65-foot steel tugboat, two M60 tanks, a 34-metre/110-foot barge, Antennae Reef and a host of large freighters.
Ginnie Springs & Peacock Springs - Some of the most visited freshwater dive spots in the world – are two places you truly don’t want to miss. The massive Leon Sinks cave system near Tallahassee is a massive underwater cave system thought to be one of the most extensive in the world.
The Keys – John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park features 40 living coral species and 650 fish varieties. Off Marathon Key is one of the region’s top dive sites; the 57-metre/188-foot Thunderbolt sits upright in 35 metres/115 feet of water and is home to colorful sponges, corals and hydroids, and Goliath grouper. Close to Looe Key is the 64-metre/210-foot Adolphus Busch – currently the largest wreck in the Lower Keys. The Spiegel Grove is one of the Keys’ most popular wrecks. The 155-metre/510-foot vessel lies in 40 metres/130 feet of water off Key Largo and was intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. Don’t miss the nearby wrecks of the former United States Coast Guard cutters Bibb and Duane.
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