Miami, FLORIDA
GPS: 25°42.218’N, 80°05.215’W
DEMA Trader
DEMA Trader was originally a 165-foot-long (50-meter) cargo ship built in 1957 and seized by U.S. Customs for smuggling narcotics. The wreck was deployed as artificial reef in 2003 just east of Key Biscayne.
The DEMA Trader was originally a 165-foot-long (50-meter) cargo ship built in 1957. It was most recently known as GGD Trader, which operated under the Belize flag. U.S. Customs seized the freighter for smuggling narcotics, and it was ultimately renamed for the 2003 Dive Equipment and Marketing Association (D.E.M.A.) tradeshow convention that was held in Miami that year. The artificial reef was deployed on October 28, 2003 just east of Key Biscayne with many tons of concrete culverts and junction boxes in its open hold. The relatively intact wreck now sits upright on a sandy seabed at a depth of 75 feet (23 meters) and offers divers with plenty of complex habitat to explore, including safe opportunities for penetration into the former galley and cabin areas.
