YOU SHOULD NOT BE ON THIS PAGE. IT EXISTS ONLY TO APPEASE THE SEARCH ENGINES. CLICK HERE (on this text) TO ESCAPE BACK TO THE INDEX PAGE.
| MileMarker: | 115 |
| Location: | Lat 25 13.00 Long 80 13.06 Begins 3/4 mile South of Carysfort Reef; Extends 2 miles SOUTH from Carysfort Tower. HMS Winchester: 210 ° South of South Carysfort Reef is a 250 foot wide sandy channel. Remains scattered there. |
| Markers: | Buoys CS1-4 are oceanside of the reef (swim shoreward); Bouys CS5-CS6 are on shoreward side. |
| Depth Range: | 2 to 20 feet deep |
| Skill Level req.: | beginner |
| Risks/Warnings: | Depth warning: during low tide, can be very shallow. Boaters Beware! SPA area [Sanctuary Preservation Area], no fishing or lobstering allowed |
| History | |
| The HMS Winchester wreck lies scattered just past Carysfort South. The British man-of-war ran aground on September 24, 1695, her crew having already fallen victom to scurvy. The ship was over 933 tons, with at least 60 cannon. It was discovered in 1938 and has yielded a multitude of artifacts. | |
| Dive Description | |
| South Carysfort reef is best known for its gardens of elkhorn coral. It is truly unique. The gardens run for several hundred yards and its depth ranges from 2 to 20 feet. Boaters are strongly warned to beware of the depth. The reef appears to be nearly flat when viewed from the surface, with the open-palmed elkhorn coral growing to just below low tide. Shoreward of the reef is shallow, with excellent snorkeling opportunities. Offshore of the reef are large star corals, brain corals, and several caves and swim-throughs. There is a large colony of pillar coral as well. Blue tangs, grunts, and surgeon fish commonly cruise the reef. Bicolor damselfish live among the elkhorn coral and fiercely defend their little turf. Parrotfish, including stoplight parrotfish, midnight parrotfish, and blue parrotfish are everywhere at South Carysfort, feeding on the coral, and pooping out sand (coral skeletal structure) that makes up the ocean floor and beach!
Divers should be reminded that South Carysfort reef is a designated SPA [Sanctuary Preservation Area] and special care should be taken not to disturb any kind of marine life. Remember you are a visitor in a home that belongs to the animals and not to you! Fishing and lobstering as well as any other collection activity is strictly prohibited. |
|
| Divesite info by: Jonathan Brinkman | |
Divelog for South Carysfort Reef
Add your dive to the divelog below!! CLICK HERE.
| LOWER KEYS info (Key West - 7 Mi. bridge) |
MIDDLE KEYS info (Marathon - Layton) |
UPPER KEYS info (Islamorada - Key Largo) |
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2004
BGW, Inc.
Find us with Keywords: State of Florida Keys scuba diving equipment scuba divers key west key largo florida map of florida vacation weather tourism travel hotel motel underwater ship wrecks photography camping certification school dive boat john pennekamp coral reef state park history snorkeling Marathon Tavernier Islamorada Big Pine PADI keys dive shops diveshops charters
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .