Clearwater, Dunedin & Tarpon Springs · United States · Artificial reef
Veterans Reef
Usually at least one goliath grouper, hiding in the sunken barges
Veterans Reef is an artificial reef in 10-11 m (32-37 ft) of water, marked by three steel-hulled barges, each over 30 m (100 ft) long, with native Florida limestone and fish-attracting devices. There is usually at least one goliath grouper on the site along with a school of baitfish, and a batfish about 30 cm (a foot) long lives on the sand.
Where it is and how deep
28.0478° N, 83.0118° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Veterans Reef is a shallow stop on the two-tank Gulf trips, with the bottom in 10-11 m (32-37 ft) of water. Three large steel-hulled barges, each over 30 m (100 ft) long, lie here with 300 tons of native Florida limestone and prefabricated fish-attracting devices. The first thing most divers look for is the goliath grouper: there is usually at least one, hiding in the bottom of the wrecks, with a school of baitfish around.
The other regular is a batfish about 30 cm (a foot) long, found around the outside of the wrecks, usually sitting on the sand. Working a lap around the edge of the site, scanning the sand as well as the structure, is the way to find it. About 15 m (50 ft) from the centre buoy, two plaques on one of the pyramid structures commemorate all veterans.
Background
In 2001 the reef construction crew placed two plaques on one of the pyramid structures, about 15 m (50 ft) from the centre buoy, commemorating all veterans. In 2019, 12 commemorative veteran statues were lowered near the reef to form the Circle of Heroes.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Clearwater, Dunedin & Tarpon Springs: No month stands out. The water is coolest in January at about 18 °C and warmest in August at about 30 °C; June-September is the wet season.
Dive videos
Airplane Barge (Veterans Reef) · Franz Leising (Florida Coast Divers) on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Veterans Reef off Tarpon Springs?+
Veterans Reef is in 10-11 m (32-37 ft) of water, a depth for Open Water divers.
Are there goliath grouper at Veterans Reef?+
There is usually at least one goliath grouper on the site, hiding in the bottom of the sunken barges, together with a school of baitfish.
Sources
- 2-Tank Shallow Dive (Gulf sites) — Narcosis SCUBA Center
- FWC Artificial Reef Locations in Florida (deployment records) — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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