Diving the Benwood wreck off Key Largo

Benwood wreck - photo credit Florida Keys Natonal Marine Sanctuary

The Benwood wreck off Key Largo is one of my favorite dives. Besides being easy (maximum depth is 55 feet) it is full of colorful fish and corals and you can still see part of the ship and swim around it. As the old cliche goes, it's like swimming in an aquarium. It's true! You'll see brain coral, sweeping sea fans, and abundant fish. Grunts, snapper, grouper, lobster, hogfish, moray eels, and more frequent this wreck.

The Benwood is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and there are mooring buoys to tie your boat to for the dive. The Benwood, a 285 foot ship, sank off the coast of Key Largo in 1942 during World War II. Here are the waypoints: Degrees Latitude 25.052667 and Degrees Longitude -080.333667; Degrees/Minutes Latitude N 25 03.160 and Degrees/Minutes Longitude W 080 20.020; or Degrees/Minutes/Seconds Latitude N 25 03 10 and Degrees/Minutes/Seconds Longitude W 080 20 01. If you don't have your own boat, try divespots.com (Benwood Wreck Dive) for a list of dive boats you can charter.