Fort Lauderdale · United States · Reef · Artificial reef
Datura
Beach entry with a tank rack and a shipwreck trail in 3 m
Datura is a shore dive from the Datura Avenue beach portal in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, one of the most popular entries for divers and snorkelers in Broward County. Past the swim buoys lies the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail in 3 m (10 ft) of water, and further east the second reef sits at about 4–5 m (12–15 ft). The beach has a tank rack, showers and a bench built for tanks.
Also known as Datura Avenue.
Where it is and how deep
26.1872° N, 80.0934° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts on the beach at Datura Avenue and El Mar Drive, where the access has a tank rack, fresh water showers, a garden hose and a bench with cutouts for tanks. Divers walk in and swim out just past the buoys that mark the swimming area, then drop down and head east; the site begins at the swim buoy and runs east for about 100 yards (90 m).
The first stop is the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail in 3 m (10 ft) of water, a replica of an early-1800s shipwreck laid out within an area of 30 by 6 m (100 by 20 ft): an anchor, a ballast pile and five concrete cannons, two on the north side and three on the south. Further east are the potholes, which hold many juvenile fish, and beyond them the second reef at about 4–5 m (12–15 ft), where hard corals stand up to about 1 m (3–4 ft) tall.
Background
The Shipwreck Snorkel Trail off Datura Avenue was built by the Marine Archaeological Council to promote Broward County's maritime heritage and dedicated in 2002 by the explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau. It is laid out around an anchor, five concrete cannons and a ballast pile in 3 m (10 ft) of water off the Lauderdale-By-The-Sea beach.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
Season follows Fort Lauderdale: Diving runs year round; hurricane season is June to November, with September and October the likeliest months for a major storm.
Dive videos
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Datura Ave Shore Dive · John Dickson on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Where is the shore entry for the Datura dive site?+
At the Datura Avenue beach portal, Datura Avenue and El Mar Drive in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, which has a tank rack, fresh water showers and a bench with cutouts for tanks.
How deep is the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail off Datura?+
The trail lies in 3 m (10 ft) of water, laid out around an anchor, five concrete cannons and a ballast pile; the second reef further east is about 4–5 m (12–15 ft) deep.
Sources
- Snorkeling & Scuba Diving — Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
- Datura — Scubago
- Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Shore Dive — Force-E Scuba Centers
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