Florida Keys · United States · Wreck
SS Benwood
A blacked-out wartime collision, now a 14 m wreck dive
Area photo: NOAA (Maya Walton) · Public domain
A Norwegian steam cargo ship that sank off Key Largo on 9 April 1942, carrying phosphate rock and running blacked out against German U-boats when she collided with the Robert C. Tuttle. She lies between Dixie Shoals and French Reef in 7.6 to 14 m of water, shallow enough that the whole wreck falls inside Open Water limits.
Also known as Benwood Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
25.0524° N, 80.3322° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Descend onto the wreck and you are on a ship that came apart rather than one that settled whole. Hull plates lie in the sand around the perimeter where she broke up, and the stern section, once considered a hazard to navigation, has been mostly obliterated by explosions of an unknown type, so what is left is wreckage to swim over rather than a hull to work your way into.
Depth does the work of keeping the dive simple. The structure sits between 7.6 and 14 m and nothing on the site goes deeper than about 17 m in the sand, so bottom times run long and swimming the length of the wreck and back is a realistic plan rather than a rushed one. The reef line either side gives an easy orientation: Dixie Shoals lies to the north, French Reef to the south.
The wreck
- Vessel
- SS Benwood
- Type
- Norwegian steam cargo ship
- Length
- 105 m (344 ft)
- Built
- 1910
- Sunk
- 1942
- Cause
- Collided with the Robert C. Tuttle while both ships ran blacked out to avoid German U-boats
- Lies
- Between Dixie Shoals and French Reef in 7.6 to 14 m, hull plates scattered in the sand around her
The Benwood was carrying a cargo of phosphate rock off Key Largo on 9 April 1942, running blacked out because German U-boats were rumoured to be in the area. The Robert C. Tuttle was running dark for the same reason, and the two ships collided. The wreck came to rest between Dixie Shoals to the north and French Reef to the south in approximately 25 to 45 feet (7.6 to 14 m) of water, with hull plates found in the sand around the perimeter.
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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Benwood wreck?+
The wreck lies in approximately 25 to 45 feet (7.6 to 14 m) of water, and the sand around her reaches about 55 feet (17 m). That keeps the dive inside Open Water limits and leaves long bottom times.
Why did the SS Benwood sink?+
She was running blacked out off Key Largo on 9 April 1942 to avoid German U-boats reported in the area. The Robert C. Tuttle was running dark for the same reason and the two ships collided.
Sources
- SS Benwood (Wreck) — Scubago
- SS Benwood — Wikipedia
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