3.64
Tenneco Towers is Lauderdale's largest artificial reef with five oil platforms at different depths near each other.
| Name Dive Site: | Tenneco Towers or Oil Platforms |
| Depth: | 59-196ft (18-60m) |
| Accessibility: | Boat, Live-aboard |
| Inserted/Added by: | lars, © Author: Lars Hemel |
| Rated: | Rated 3.0, 6 votes |
| Specifications: |        |
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Tenneco Reef or Tenneco Towers is an artificial reef created by five oil platforms that were donated to the joint venture between the Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in October 1985. Up till then they were used in the Gulf of Mexico for gas and oil exploration, being highly profitable producing several million barrels of oil. It was the Tenneco Oil Corporation itself that brought them here by barge and sank them two miles offshore reachable for dive boats from Miami as well as from Fort Lauderdale. Three Tenneco Oil Platforms lined up from east to west are the only rigs reachable within recreational diving limits with its top decks at depths of 60, 80 and 100 feet respectively. The other two are located in waters of 200 feet deep, mainly for fishery purposes and technical trimix divers. Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida in 1992 and made some of the towers hang over in a 45 degree angle.
Its marine and coral life is spectacular with many types of sponges, hard and soft corals. Especially orange cup coral, oysters and clams are famous as they cover many parts of the wrecks. Its open structure gives free way to the Gulf Stream creating high nutrition waters which attract many pelagic species such as mackerel, tuna and barracuda that hover around it. Reef fish such as queen angelfish, turtles, amber fish and hogfish swim around the wreck in search of food, while wintertime is a great time to spot bull sharks out in the blue patrolling the oil rigs. At such a short distance from Haulover Inlet, try to dive during high tide when currents are at its lowest and visibility is at its highest. Sunny weather is also one of the things to keep an eye out for as the light rays through and around its steel legs create the strangest shapes you have ever seen. With a relief of 50 foot at distances of less than 100 feet of each other, this is by many divers considered to be one of the best dives in the area.
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Located on 17th Street Causeway (see map), we are just a 3 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale beach and a 3 minute drive from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. We offer all levels of diver training and a comprehensive range of diving equipment and service support. Since 1978, Lauderdale Diver has built a reputation of trust and reliability with both our local and global clientele due to our exceptional customer service.
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