|
|
Photo courtesy of the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary.
|
Intentionally sunk for use as an artificial reef in 1987, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Duane lies upright on a sandy bottom in 125 feet of water off Molasses Reef in the Upper Florida Keys. Built at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia in 1936, Duane served with distinction during several important wartime and peacetime missions, helping to sink a German U-boat, participating in four rescues at sea, and escorting thousands of Cuban refugees to the United States. In her final assignment, as part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Shipwreck Trail, Duane offers advanced divers an exciting opportunity to explore an intact sunken ship that hosts an impressive community of pelagic and sedentary marine life. Marked by two mooring buoys, one on the bow and one on the stern, at 24° 59.388’N and 80° 22.888’W, this historic ship receives thousands of visitor each year.
|
