Dive-site story
Sunk during a wartime blackout collision in 1942, the Norwegian merchant freighter Benwood rests on a slope within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Its bow points offshore toward deeper water, whereas the flattened stern sits in the shallows. Decades of storms and salvage opened the hull plates into an open framework functioning as an artificial reef. Divers explore exposed ribs and hull profiles without technical penetration training.
World War II wreckage resting upright on a sandy seabed
Sheltered interior framing populated by schools of grunts and glassy sweepers
Active nocturnal marine life during night dives in the Upper Keys
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Late spring through early autumn brings the calmest seas and warmest water.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse SharkGinglymostoma cirratum | Common | ||||||||||||
| Green Moray EelGymnothorax funebris | Common | ||||||||||||
| Goliath GrouperEpinephelus itajara | Seasonal | ||||||||||||
| Midnight ParrotfishScarus coelestinus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Glassy SweeperPempheris schomburgkii | Common |
Marine forecast
