Shipwreck Trail
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Shipwreck Trail
Explore the sites along the trail
Divers can explore a trail of historic shipwrecks in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Some sites are very shallow while others are much deeper so there is a variety of experiences. The oldest shipwreck is the San Pedro which left Havana Cuba bound for Spain in 1733. It was carrying Mexican silver coins and crates of Chinese porcelain. It got caught in a hurricane and without enough time to return to the port, the ship sunk. It was discovered in the 1960s by treasure hunters who helped recover the ballast and cannons as well as remnants of the cargo. The youngest is the Thunderbolt built during World War II. The vessel was never officially commissioned and was later used for research on the electrical energy in lightning strikes. It was donated to the Florida Keys Artificial Reef Association and intentionally sunk in 1986.