The Hydro Atlantic

On December 7, 1987, a ship of huge proportions sank in a storm just one mile east of the Boca Raton Inlet. The ship was being towed to Brownsville, Texas where it was to be salvaged. Instead it sank on our door step and was discovered one month later by Captain David Turbeville. Today the Hydro Atlantic is considered to be one of the 10 best dives in the United States. Lying in 172 feet of water, the 320 foot long freighter is a real ship wreck, not a diver prepared, artificial reef wreck. A huge crane stands mid ship, with one of the ship's main anchors at its base. The winch is still on the bow and the engine is still in the engine room. Her deck is still crowded with equipment. Pipes that traverses the old hull from one pump to another. Cranes and giant winches still laden with cables. Barely recognizable, they are all covered with a thick blanket of coral, sponge and soft corals, like those in the picture above. Thousand of tropical fish dart in and out of every pipe and porthole seeking shelter from predators, while barracuda and shark lurk in the distant shadows. Rope, cable and fishing line cover almost every inch of the wreck. Years of strong currents, the effects of saltwater erosion and the immense growth of corals have all taken their toll on the ship's structure. Some walls of the superstructure have collapsed and the hull has started to crush under the weight of its deck and machinery providing new access to inner passages. As a true wreck, equipment intact, with such of abundance of growth and so many opportunity for penetration, the Hydro Atlantic is one the best wrecks in Florida and is a must for the serious wreck diver.