3.64
Joe's Tug was a 65 ft tugboat 7 miles east southeast of Key West Harbor.
| Name Dive Site: | Joe's Tug |
| Depth: | 55-68ft (17-21m) |
| Visibility: | 13-196ft (4-60m) |
| Accessibility: | Boat, Live-aboard |
| Inserted/Added by: | bonsai_diving |
| Rated: | Rated 3.6, 7 votes |
| Specifications: |    |
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Joe's Tug, seven miles ESE of Key West, is one of the best known novice dive sites in the Key West and Lower Keys area. She sank at the pier in Safe Harbor in 1986 but was taken on land to create an artificial reef out of it. They cleaned it, removed engine and propellers and added loads of metal to make it more stable. Experts decided that the wreck was to be scuttled near Miami, but locals didn't agree and scuttled it just south of Marker 1 (32). Dive shops didn't visit this wreck until 1990 to be sure that police investigations didn't lead to their shop.
Hurricane George has ripped off the wheelhouse in 1998 followed by Irene which removed the wheelhouse completely and broke the wreck in two in 1999. Its loads of metal have kept her upright. Marine life is great at the wreck with its hull often filled with schools of schoolmasters. Barracuda love to hover around the cabin area. Enormous moray eels are said to be living on the wreck while huge leather barrel sponges and star coral have surrounded it. Diving here at night will show you a complete different life with many smaller crabs and lobster, all walking along the deck in their quest for food. Its marine life, coral growth and history all add up to the beauty of this wreck.
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Diveshop
- Lost Reef Adventures, 261 Margaret Street, 33040
Lost Reef Adventures
| Lost Reef Adventures LostReefAdventures.com (305) 296-9737 | 261 Margaret Street Key West 33040 |
Lost Reef Adventures is a full service dive shop located at the historic Lands End Marina in Key West with two daily dive and snorkel trips. We have been serving the Keys from our dockside location since 1985. We carry a full line of scuba diving and snorkeling equipment for rent or purchase. Lowest air prices in Key West! In addition, we offer all PADI and NAUI scuba diving certifications.
Lost Reef Adventures, located in the historic Key West Bight, has been serving lower keys visitors and locals from our dockside location since 1985.
Bonsai Diving
| Bonsai Diving www.bonsaidiving.com/ (305) 294-2921 (305) 294-2921 | 1075 Duval St, C-9 Key West |
Enjoy the comfort of a high speed catamaran, with a max of 6 divers on board, to the best dive sites around Key West. We feature unrestricted bottom times, guided wreck penetrations, better sites, unparalleled customer service, a perfect safety record, and a laid back attitude to ensure that you get the most enjoyment from your trip
Bluewater Charters Key West
| Bluewater Charters Key West www.bwckeywest.com/ 305-304-8888 | Galleon Marina Slip 2 33040 Key West |
[Add Message]Messages from readers:
Name: bonsai_diving
Joe's Tug was broken apart by the 2005 storms. There is a small bow section pointing South, a debris field leading North to a small stern section. It sits in 59 ft of water and makes a nice easy wreck dive providing currents cooperate. Lots of barracuda, moray eels, stonefish, and occasionally a sea turtle or hammerhead. There is no longer anything left that is large enough to penetrate.
Name: lars, © Author: Lars Hemel
You will think this 75 foot wreck used to be a tugboat but in fact she is a steel hulled shrimp boat. She sank at the pier in Safe Harbor in 1986 but was taken on land to create an artificial reef out of it. Experts decided that the wreck was to be scuttled near Miami, but locals didn't agree and wanted to tow it to a different destination just the night before it was to be transported. However, it choose its own final resting spot as it sank before it reached its planned destination. There are many stories about how, who and why, but nobody knows for sure.
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