The Florida Department of State has
announced the creation of the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail, a series of 12
shipwrecks located offshore of Pensacola, Destin, Panama City and Port St. Joe.
The shipwreck trail includes the aircraft carrier the USS Oriskany off Pensacola, the tugboat Miss Louise off Destin, the oilfield supply vessel Black Bart off Panama city and the
steamer Vamar off Port St. Joe.
The
Vamar was
made famous as a support ship for Admiral Richard Byrd’s 1928 Antarctic
expedition before sinking under mysterious circumstances in 1942.
Many of the shipwrecks along the trail were sunk to become
artificial reefs, and have become popular fishing and diving destinations.
The 12 shipwrecks were chosen by a consensus of local dive
operators, based on popular demand, historical context and ecological
diversity.
The Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail is highlighted by an
interactive website at floridapanhandledivetrail.com that features underwater
videos of each shipwreck, the locations of local dive shops and the current
marine weather forecast.
Divers who would like to visit some of the wrecks along the
trail can get an official passport from area dive operators.
The passport contains information about each of the shipwrecks,
a dive log to record each stop and a place to validate the visit with an
official sticker.
http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
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