Exploring the Emerald Coast: A Guide to the Best Wrecks of the Florida Panhandle

Michael Salvarezza and Christopher P Weaver explore some of the multitude of wrecks off the Florida Panhandle, and find out more about the soon-to-be sunk liner SS United States.

In 1559, Spanish explorer Don Tristan de Luna established the first European settlement in what is now the United States in Pensacola, Florida. Short lived, the settlement was abandoned after a devastating hurricane and disappeared from memory into the coastal sands of the Gulf Coast. 

This shoreline, which extends from southern Florida to the Texas coast, has long been home to Native Americans, explorers, settlers, pirates and entrepreneurs captivated by the beauty and mystery of these shifting sands. The waters of the Gulf, sometimes placid and other times violent, continue to beguile while holding mysteries yet to be revealed. For divers, there is an emerging world of adventure here beneath the surface waiting to be explored. Shipwrecks, most often sunk intentionally for the purposes of benefiting marine life while boosting tourism through fishing and diving, can be found all along this coast. And although many of these ships have been purposely sunk, every ship has a history and a story worth exploring. Indeed, muffled by the Gulf waters, each wreck is a sentinel with a tale to be told. 

The Gulf Coast along the Florida Panhandle is sometimes referred to as the Emerald Coast due to the distinctive green color of the water. This is caused by the reflection of sunlight off the white quartz sand and the shallow, clear waters of the Gulf. It was here, in Pensacola, that we began our journey to explore some of the wrecks lying beneath the waves. Our first dives were to the wreck of the USS Oriskany. 

Diving the USS Oriskany: The World’s First Carrier Reef

The USS Oriskany, a 911-foot-long aircraft carrier, was sunk on 17 May 2006, 22.5 nautical miles south east off Pensacola Pass at a depth of 212ft. At the time of her sinking, she was the first naval warship and largest artificial reef ever to be intentionally sunk in US coastal waters. 

The ‘Mighty O’, as she is nicknamed, is a vessel with a storied history. She was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built shortly after World War Two and could carry up to 80 planes. She earned two battle stars for service in the Korean War and five battle stars for service in the Vietnam War. She primarily operated in the Pacific and, after completing 25 years of service, was decommissioned in September 1976. The vessel was subsequently sunk in a joint effort between the US Navy, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Escambia County in Florida. 

Our descent to the Oriskany led us first through a dense school of barracuda. Eyeing us warily, these predators had no interest in us as prey but, rather, just seemed to be trying to figure out what we were. The visibility was less than normal, around 30 feet, due to a recent tropical disturbance that had passed through and an abundance of drifting planktonic life. Eventually, the top of the ship’s island came into view at a depth of around 65ft. An American flag, along with a POW-MIA flag and a United States Marine Corps flag, were tied to the top of the superstructure and waving in the brisk current. 

After two decades of submersion, the wreck is covered in marine growth. Shellfish, corals and algae obscure much of the original metal. Robust schools of tropical fish swirled around the superstructure, evidence that the intention of the artificial reef program has been met. We first explored the upper levels of the island before descending to the next levels in the direction of the stern, an observation bridge at about 110ft. Here, orange and yellow cup corals adorn the wreckage and delicately frame the entrances of windows, doorways and hatches. The wreck of the USS Oriskany is enormous and most of it lies beneath the range of recreational scuba. The flight deck, for instance, is at around 140ft, the hangers around 165ft and the sand is 210ft or deeper in spots. The large majority of divers visiting this wreck only explore the superstructure of the carrier’s island, but even just this area provides enough adventure for many visits to this grand wreck!

Wreck Diving in Destin: Tugboats and Supply Vessels

After exploring the USS Oriskany, we moved our base of operations about 45 miles to the east to the bustling seaside town of Destin, Florida. With unimaginably white beach sands and easy access to the Gulf waters, Destin is fast becoming a popular destination on the panhandle. Our objective was to sample some of the wrecks that have been intentionally sunk off Destin. We wanted to dive inshore wrecks as well as wrecks further offshore. 

Our first dive was to the wreck of the Miss Louise, a sunken push tugboat lying in around 60ft of water only a few miles out of the Destin pass. The ship was put down in 1997 and is home to a wide variety of marine life. For us, the most-exciting encounter came as we poked our way into some of the enclosed sections near the stern.

Here, with visibility decreased and in darkness, we heard an unfamiliar grunting coming from the recesses of the hold. Turning our lights on revealed a pair of Goliath grouper, each weighing several hundred pounds. We were at interesting juncture because at that moment we stood between the fish and their exit from the dark lair of the wreck! One of the fish, its eyes deep with ancient knowledge, stared and slowly opened its mouth before swimming out of the light and deeper into the wreck. It was quickly followed by its companion. 

The Miss Louise is a perfect dive for all levels of divers and is a great wreck to explore to become acquainted with Gulf diving.

Our next dive was to the Cyclops, a 105-foot decommissioned offshore supply vessel that was used by the oil industry while it was in service. The Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team sank the Cyclops on 18 April 2023 as another addition to the trail of intentional wrecks along the coast. In an example of the difficulties in sinking ships intentionally, the Cyclops settled to the bottom at 72ft upside down and remains that way today. Since it is a relatively newer artificial reef, we found less marine growth on her hull, but we did encounter clouds of fish hanging out in the interior of the bridge. 

After diving on these inshore wrecks, it was time to head further offshore. Destin has a bustling boating community and the marinas can feel almost alarmingly busy, but in just a few short minutes out of the pass, the entire Gulf seems to open up and you quickly leave the commotion behind as you head towards your diving adventure. 

Advanced Exploration: The Manta and Big Dawg Offshore Wrecks

Our first offshore wreck was the wreck of the Manta, sunk in January of 2023 16 miles southwest of the Destin Pass in 111ft of water. The Manta, a 190-foot vessel used for oil exploration out of Louisiana, has some intriguing penetration opportunities along with long corridors along the side rails perfect for exploration. Some of the wreck is almost devoid of marine growth while other areas are completely covered in shellfish and barnacles. Divers can reach the top of the wreck in about 70ft of water and there is plenty to see at those depths for divers who want to avoid the time penalties of diving deeper.

Next, we visited the watercraft PL-94-9301, better known as the Big Dawg, another of Destin’s offshore wrecks. Sunk in May of 2021, the Big Dawg was a 93-foot steel Air Force Parachute Water Survival School training vessel out of NAS Pensacola. It was donated by the Air Force to Okaloosa County to be used as part of its artificial reef program and as part of the deal, the Air Force was given the opportunity to choose its name prior to the sinking. 

On our dive, we experienced fairly clear water with about 50-foot visibility. As with all the wrecks we explored in the Gulf, water temperatures were extremely high at the surface but dropped off in stages, with thermoclines around 40ft and 60ft. Bottom temperatures were in the low 70s Fahrenheit. On the Big Dawg, we saw amberjack, schools of snapper, an occasional butterflyfish and, hanging out near the stern, another curious Goliath grouper. The Big Dawg sits in 105ft of water but has several decks and divers can reach the wreck at around 60ft. Because of its profile, the wreck is suitable for all levels of diver. 

The artificial reef program is Florida is one of the most active in the world. Since the 1940s, more than 4,422 planned artificial reefs have been deployed off Florida’s coasts. The Florida Panhandle alone has over 430 such reefs, many of these being decommissioned and intentionally sunk vessels. Clearly, our small sample could never inventory all of these sites… it’s a challenge that could keep divers coming back for generations. Regardless of your skill level, or interest, there’s a wreck site suitable for you in these waters. Give the Emerald Coast a try… we know we’ll be back! 

The Future of the Emerald Coast: Sinking the SS United States

At the time of this writing, the famous luxury liner SS United States is being readied for deployment as an artificial reef off the Destin-Ft Walton area of the Florida Panhandle. The 990-foot liner, once known as ‘America’s Flagship’ and owner of the speed record for an Atlantic crossing that remains to this day, is being prepared in a boatyard in Mobile, Alabama, for its sinking. The date of the sinking remains uncertain, but late-2025 or early-2026 is the latest estimate. 

Dive shops and charter boat captains are eager to see the vessel deployed underwater. Once sunk, the SS United States will become the world’s largest artificial reef, outdoing the USS Oriskany. The local dive industry expects this to be a boon to their business; some are planning to purchase additional boats to accommodate the anticipated demand for dives to the vessel, and others are expecting daily dive trips to the site. 

“It has already attracted attention from around the world and we expect it will boost the local dive industry and the economy in general,” says Savanna Christy, owner of SCUBA Tech in Destin, Florida. A land-based museum is also being built to tell the story of the famed ship and house many of its artifacts, including at least one of its trademark funnels. The addition of the SS United States to these Gulf waters is sure to catapult this area to a premier and much-sought-after dive destination.

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