Florida Keys · United States · Wreck · Artificial reef
Eagle Wreck
A freighter cut in half by Hurricane Georges in 1998
Area photo: NOAA (Maya Walton) · Public domain
An 82 m freighter (269 ft) built in Holland in 1962 and sunk deliberately off Islamorada in December 1985. She sits in 70 to 110 feet, roughly 21 to 34 m, and Hurricane Georges split her hull in two in 1998, so the wreck now dives as two sections rather than one continuous ship.
Where it is and how deep
24.8696° N, 80.5701° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Depth decides the shape of the dive. The shallower structure is workable on an ordinary recreational profile, while the sand alongside her at 34 m is a brief visit with an eye on gas and no-stop time, so most plans take the deep end early and spend the rest of the dive shallowing up along the hull. Descend on the line and get oriented on the structure before moving off along it.
The break is the thing to plan around. Since 1998 the site has read as two sections rather than one hull, and a single dive usually means choosing an end and working it rather than trying to swim 82 m (269 ft) of freighter and back. Pick the section before you get in, come back to the same line to ascend, and treat crossing the gap at depth as a second dive rather than an extension of this one.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Eagle
- Type
- Freighter, deliberately scuttled as an artificial reef
- Length
- 82 m (269 ft)
- Built
- 1962
- Sunk
- 1985
- Cause
- Intentionally sunk as an artificial reef
- Lies
- In 21 to 34 m off Islamorada, hull split in two by Hurricane Georges in 1998
The Eagle was built in Holland in 1962 and ran as an 82 m freighter (269 ft) before she was intentionally sunk off Islamorada in December of 1985 to make an artificial reef. She sat intact for thirteen years until Hurricane Georges split her hull in two in 1998, and the wreck has been dived as two separate sections in 70 to 110 feet (34 m) of water ever since.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Florida Keys: Winter cold fronts (December-February) bring choppier seas and cooler water; April-August offers the calmest conditions, though hurricane season runs June-November.
Know before you go
- The deep end of the wreck is at about 34 m, which leaves little no-stop time: work the deep section early and shallow up along the hull rather than returning to it late in the dive.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Eagle wreck?+
She can be found at 70 to 110 feet, roughly 21 to 34 m. The shallower structure suits a normal recreational profile; the deep end at 34 m is short on no-stop time and calls for advanced experience.
Sources
- Eagle Wreck — Scubago
In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
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