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Ten underwater archaeological preserves are scattered around Florida's waterways, with an 11th to soon be designated near Stuart.
By NANCY WHELAN
correspondent
May 12, 2006
In 1987, Florida began to develop a statewide system of underwater parks featuring shipwrecks and other historic sites. The shipwreck preserves have become popular attractions for skin and scuba diving visitors to witness a part of Florida's history first-hand.
SEBASTIAN - Ships, in their day, had many different functions. There were racing yachts, molasses transporters, steamboats, battleships, rum runners and freighters.
Many of the ships were resold to individuals and also to different companies once their usefulness was no longer needed. They would then be renamed and sometimes refurbished.
And, in some unfortunate cases, they came to rest at the bottom of the ocean.
The Germania, for example, which was built in 1908, was a sail-powered yacht that later became a floating saloon named Half Moon that sank in the 1930s in Biscayne Bay.
The SS Copenhagen was a steamer that crashed into a reef offshore of Lauderdale-by-the Sea in 1900.
And let's not forget the Spanish Plate fleet brought down by hurricanes in 1715.
"These sunken ships are located all over the state's waterways," said Jeff Moates, an underwater archaeologist with the state Bureau of Archaeological Research.
Moates was one of the featured speakers at a recent lecture titled "Hidden Treasures," sponsored by the Sebastian Historical Society at the North County Library. There were about 90 attendees of all ages at the lecture.
Moates talked about Florida's 10 underwater archaeological preserves, or shipwreck preserves.
Once a shipwreck is designated an underwater archaeological preserve, a plaque in concrete is placed at the site itself and a water-proof map is produced so that divers can easily identify them, Moates said.
There is an abundance of sea life around the preserves for divers to view including stingrays, sharks and in one case, a very large sea turtle lives in the pillow block of the vessel at the Copenhagen Preserve at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Moates explained that USS Massachusetts, one of three Indiana class battleships, for example, would be vulnerable to destruction from enemy fire because the fore and aft guns (when shooting in the same direction) would expose the thinner bottom of the boat below the 18-inch thick armor plating.
Scuttled outside of Pensacola Pass in 1921 and used for target practice, USS Massachusetts is the oldest existing American battleship.
The shipwrecks are usually found in shallow water off the coast including Fort Pierce, Panama City Beach, Pompano Beach, Bradenton Beach, the Keys (near Islamorada), Pensacola, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Port St. Joe.
According to the Florida Heritage Web site (flheritage.com), Florida developed a statewide system in 1987 of underwater parks featuring shipwrecks and other historic sites. There are currently 10 designated preserves.
And, the 11th and latest preserve is actually not far from Sebastian. It is located near Stuart, said Moates, and it will be designated toward the end of this year.
Moates has a master of arts degree in historical archaeology from the University of West Florida and has been with the Bureau of Archaeological Research for six months.
Raised in Florida, he has been engaged in all things associated with Florida's waters. Underwater archaeology is a natural extension of what he liked to do as a youngster, "digging and diving," says Moates.
If you have any questions or information about an artifact you have seen or found, contact Moates at (850) 245-6444. Or, for location or diving information about the preserves or to view photographs of the preserves you can visit their Web site. Posters also are available at the Web site.
Underwater Archaeological Preserves
* Urca de Lima: At the site of one of the fabled Spanish treasure fleet wrecks that sank during a hurricane in 1715 off present-day Fort Pierce, the Urca de Lima park was opened in September 1987.
* San Pedro: In April 1989, a second underwater preserve was opened at the site of the San Pedro, a galleon of the 1733 Spanish Plate Fleet that was wrecked in the Florida Keys near Islamorada.
* City of Hawkinsville: The third underwater park was opened in 1992. The City of Hawkinsville, located in Old Town, was a Suwannee River steamboat sunk in the 1920s.
* USS Massachusetts (BB-2): The 350-foot long battleship USS Massachusetts, resting beneath the waters of Pensacola Pass, became the fourth underwater preserve in June 1993.
* SS Copenhagen: This addition to the preserve system was dedicated in June 1994. The SS Copenhagen was a steamer that crashed into a reef offshore of Lauderdale-by-the Sea in 1900.
* SS Tarpon: Dedicated in spring 1997, the SS Tarpon was a steamer that went down in a storm off of the coast of Panama City Beach in 1937.
* Half Moon: The wreck of the Half Moon recently was nominated to become a Preserve by Miami diver Terry Helmers. Located off Key Biscayne near Miami, the wreck of the Half Moon lies in shallow water on a sandy bottom.
* Lofthus: Before wrecking off Manalapan in 1898, the eighth preserve Lofthus traveled the world as a merchant ship, attempting to avoid pirates with her painted-on gunports.
* Vamar: The ninth preserve, Vamar sailed to Antartica with Rear-Admiral Richard Byrd under the name Eleanor Bolling, eventually wrecking under mysterious circumstances in WWII-era Port St. Joe.
* Regina: Regina was a steel steamer built in 1904 in Belfast, Ireland, by the Workman, Clark & Co. shipyard for the Cuban Molasses Transportation Co., based in Havana. The partially buried remains of Regina are situated about 75 yards off Bradenton Beach.
Bureau of Archaeological Research, www.flheritage.com/archaeology/
By NANCY WHELAN
correspondent
May 12, 2006
In 1987, Florida began to develop a statewide system of underwater parks featuring shipwrecks and other historic sites. The shipwreck preserves have become popular attractions for skin and scuba diving visitors to witness a part of Florida's history first-hand.
SEBASTIAN - Ships, in their day, had many different functions. There were racing yachts, molasses transporters, steamboats, battleships, rum runners and freighters.
Many of the ships were resold to individuals and also to different companies once their usefulness was no longer needed. They would then be renamed and sometimes refurbished.
And, in some unfortunate cases, they came to rest at the bottom of the ocean.
The Germania, for example, which was built in 1908, was a sail-powered yacht that later became a floating saloon named Half Moon that sank in the 1930s in Biscayne Bay.
The SS Copenhagen was a steamer that crashed into a reef offshore of Lauderdale-by-the Sea in 1900.
And let's not forget the Spanish Plate fleet brought down by hurricanes in 1715.
"These sunken ships are located all over the state's waterways," said Jeff Moates, an underwater archaeologist with the state Bureau of Archaeological Research.
Moates was one of the featured speakers at a recent lecture titled "Hidden Treasures," sponsored by the Sebastian Historical Society at the North County Library. There were about 90 attendees of all ages at the lecture.
Moates talked about Florida's 10 underwater archaeological preserves, or shipwreck preserves.
Once a shipwreck is designated an underwater archaeological preserve, a plaque in concrete is placed at the site itself and a water-proof map is produced so that divers can easily identify them, Moates said.
There is an abundance of sea life around the preserves for divers to view including stingrays, sharks and in one case, a very large sea turtle lives in the pillow block of the vessel at the Copenhagen Preserve at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Moates explained that USS Massachusetts, one of three Indiana class battleships, for example, would be vulnerable to destruction from enemy fire because the fore and aft guns (when shooting in the same direction) would expose the thinner bottom of the boat below the 18-inch thick armor plating.
Scuttled outside of Pensacola Pass in 1921 and used for target practice, USS Massachusetts is the oldest existing American battleship.
The shipwrecks are usually found in shallow water off the coast including Fort Pierce, Panama City Beach, Pompano Beach, Bradenton Beach, the Keys (near Islamorada), Pensacola, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Port St. Joe.
According to the Florida Heritage Web site (flheritage.com), Florida developed a statewide system in 1987 of underwater parks featuring shipwrecks and other historic sites. There are currently 10 designated preserves.
And, the 11th and latest preserve is actually not far from Sebastian. It is located near Stuart, said Moates, and it will be designated toward the end of this year.
Moates has a master of arts degree in historical archaeology from the University of West Florida and has been with the Bureau of Archaeological Research for six months.
Raised in Florida, he has been engaged in all things associated with Florida's waters. Underwater archaeology is a natural extension of what he liked to do as a youngster, "digging and diving," says Moates.
If you have any questions or information about an artifact you have seen or found, contact Moates at (850) 245-6444. Or, for location or diving information about the preserves or to view photographs of the preserves you can visit their Web site. Posters also are available at the Web site.
Underwater Archaeological Preserves
* Urca de Lima: At the site of one of the fabled Spanish treasure fleet wrecks that sank during a hurricane in 1715 off present-day Fort Pierce, the Urca de Lima park was opened in September 1987.
* San Pedro: In April 1989, a second underwater preserve was opened at the site of the San Pedro, a galleon of the 1733 Spanish Plate Fleet that was wrecked in the Florida Keys near Islamorada.
* City of Hawkinsville: The third underwater park was opened in 1992. The City of Hawkinsville, located in Old Town, was a Suwannee River steamboat sunk in the 1920s.
* USS Massachusetts (BB-2): The 350-foot long battleship USS Massachusetts, resting beneath the waters of Pensacola Pass, became the fourth underwater preserve in June 1993.
* SS Copenhagen: This addition to the preserve system was dedicated in June 1994. The SS Copenhagen was a steamer that crashed into a reef offshore of Lauderdale-by-the Sea in 1900.
* SS Tarpon: Dedicated in spring 1997, the SS Tarpon was a steamer that went down in a storm off of the coast of Panama City Beach in 1937.
* Half Moon: The wreck of the Half Moon recently was nominated to become a Preserve by Miami diver Terry Helmers. Located off Key Biscayne near Miami, the wreck of the Half Moon lies in shallow water on a sandy bottom.
* Lofthus: Before wrecking off Manalapan in 1898, the eighth preserve Lofthus traveled the world as a merchant ship, attempting to avoid pirates with her painted-on gunports.
* Vamar: The ninth preserve, Vamar sailed to Antartica with Rear-Admiral Richard Byrd under the name Eleanor Bolling, eventually wrecking under mysterious circumstances in WWII-era Port St. Joe.
* Regina: Regina was a steel steamer built in 1904 in Belfast, Ireland, by the Workman, Clark & Co. shipyard for the Cuban Molasses Transportation Co., based in Havana. The partially buried remains of Regina are situated about 75 yards off Bradenton Beach.
Bureau of Archaeological Research, www.flheritage.com/archaeology/
