Reef Smart Guides has created hundreds of dive and snorkel site 3D models from around the world. The sites on these pages represent just a sample. The sites are organized into categories for easy consultation. By default, all sites in all categories are presented. Sites can be filtered into specific categories by clicking on the appropriate tab below.
Amphitrite, also known as the Siren of Sunset House, is a 9-foot tall, 600-pound, bronze mermaid statue created by Canadian sculptor, Simon Morris. It was placed on the edge of the reef at Sunset House Resort in Grand Cayman in November 2000. At a depth of less than 50 feet, the sculpture is accessible to both divers and snorkelers.
Army Tanks Wreck Trek consists of two M60 army tanks separated by a long pile of rubble. A large overturned barge called the Larsen Barge sits adjacent to the tanks. The wreck of a former treasure barge, the Mathew Lawrence Memorial Reef sits just to the east.
The adjacent sites of Bari Reef and Front Porch are ideal for divers and snorkelers of all experience levels. These sites are known for their incredible biodiversity, which includes snappers, octopuses and frogfish.
Biscayne was originally a 150-foot-long (45.7-meter) freighter deployed as an artificial reef in 1974 just to the east of Key Biscayne. The wreck lies partially submerged in the sand at a depth of 61 feet (18.5 meters).
Bob Soto’s Reef is a popular dive and snorkel site located on the west coast of Grand Cayman. This shallow, shore-accessible, site has high diversity, great viz and is relatively protected from waves and currents.
Buddy Dive Resort has spacious studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments, a full service dive center with a drive-thru fill station, two swimming pools and two incredible restaurants. Whether traveling as a single, couple, a family, or an entire group of dive buddies, this resort has you covered.
Buddy Reef is located adjacent to Buddy Dive Resort on the west coast of Bonaire. The water here is crystal-clear and access to the reef couldn’t be easier. Snappers, tarpon, angelfish and parrotfish abound, and moray eels are common in the deeper parts of the site.
C53 Felipe Xicotencatl is a U.S. Navy minesweeper sunk as an artificial reef in 1999 in Cozumel, Mexico. It is one of the most popular sites in Cozumel and is accessible to divers and snorkelers of all skill levels.
Discover a relaxing paradise at the Chogogo Dive & Beach Resort. Scuba Do Bonaire, conveniently located on the water’s edge provides exceptional service for divers and snorkelers looking to explore the stunning house reef – Bari and Front Porch.
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.
Doc Poulson was a Japanese-made cable-laying tug sunk as an artificial reef in 1981. She was the first artificial reef sunk in Grand Cayman. The wreck sits upright on a sandy seabed at a depth of 55 feet (17 meters) and is heavily encrusted with hard and soft corals, as well as sponges.
Dolphin’s Den is a popular site on the north coast of Roatan. A passageway connects the waters of the lagoon with those of the open ocean, offering divers a mix of overhead and semi-lit caverns to explore.
Named after the eighteen palm trees that once bordered this site, 18th Palm is a spectacular shore-accessible dive and snorkel site that everyone should explore on their visit to Bonaire.
El Aguila is a 230-foot (75-meter) long freighter that lies in several pieces, just seaward of the northern reef wall adjacent to Sandy Bay. She was sunk as an artificial reef by Anthony’s Key Resort in 1997 and now rests on a sandy seabed at a depth of around 110 feet (33.5 meters).
The F4U Corsair is an airplane wreck located off the east coast of Espiritu Santo. The wreck lies on a sand and coral rubble seabed at a depth of 100 feet (30.5 meters), just 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers) from the end of the old wartime runway located at Turtle Bay.
Front Porch is the house reef of Anthony’s Key Resort. This entertaining shore-accessible site is suitable for both divers and snorkelers and involves several different habitats, including the resort’s coral restoration project.
Sometimes referred to as McKenny’s Wall, this pristine section of reef wall supports lots of hard corals, gorgonians and black corals. The reef also features multiple canyons with swim-throughs, many of which lead out to the drop-off.
The Joe Patti Memorial Reef is a large, 175-foot (53.5-meter) by 40-foot (12-meter) barge with multiple steel structures welded to its deck. The barge and its associated Pensacola-themed artwork were deployed as an artificial reef in July 2013.
The Kittiwake is an iconic Cayman underwater site, accessible to both divers and snorkelers alike thanks to shallow and crystal-clear waters. Kittiwake sank on January 5, 2011, and currently rests slightly on its port side just feet away from the adjacent reefs.
The LCM David Nicholson was a U.S. Navy landing craft that was believed to have been used in the Korean War. She was purchased as an artificial reef and named after David Nicholson – a French Canadian divemaster who worked at Sunset House and passed away in 1989.
Lighthouse Point gets its name from the Punt Vierkant Lighthouse, located here. The reef is healthy and vibrant, and attracts a wide diversity of marine life, including hawksbill sea turtles, eagle rays and green moray eels.
Lighthouse Wall is an attractive deep wall dive located immediately offshore of the East End lighthouse – one of the highest points on the island. The site consists of jagged rocky points that jut out into the blue with deep sandy channels between.
Million Dollar Point is a popular shore dive in the southeast corner of Espiritu Santo. The site gets its name from the “million dollars” of U.S. Army materiel dumped into the ocean at the end of the war, consisting of trucks, diggers, bulldozers and ships.
MV Courageous was originally a 189-foot-long (57.5-meter) oceangoing cargo vessel purchased by the Air Force for use in a demonstration of a new weapons delivery system. The vessel was split in two during this exercise and now lies at a sandy seabed at a depth of 130 feet (39.5 meters).
MV Henry Bonneaud was a 147-foot (45-meter) island freighter that was deliberately sunk as an artificial reef. The wreck sits upright on a sandy slope, pointing away from shore, with its shallowest point at the stern at a depth of 99 feet (30 meters).
Ocean Wind is 87-foot (26.5-meter) tugboat deployed by Escambia County as an artificial reef in January 2016. The wreck hosts numerous species, including triggerfish soapfish. She sits upright with a slight list to port on a sandy seafloor.
Odyssey was a freighter that was sunk as an artificial reef in 2002. At a length of 300 feet (91 meters), she is Roatan’s largest wreck. She lies just seaward of the reef wall, off the north coast of Roatan, at a depth of approximately 115 feet (35 meters).
USS Oriskany is an aircraft carrier deployed as an artificial reef in May 2006. Recreational divers can explore the multiple tiers of the central island that loom 60 feet (18 meters) above the deck while experienced tech divers can explore the cavernous hanger bay below decks.
Paraiso III was originally a Honduran-flagged offshore supply vessel. She sits upright on a sandy seafloor just east of Key Biscayne near Miami, FL at a depth of 76 feet (23 meters).
Pat’s Wall is a deep wall dive located in the southeast corner of Grand Cayman’s East End. The site features numerous deep channels that extend from the top of the reef to the drop-off. The seaward edge of Pat’s Wall alternates between towering spurs and steep-walled canyons.
Pete Tide II had a two decades-long career servicing oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico. She was deployed as an artificial reef in May 1993 and is one of the original members of the popular Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail.
Proteus was originally a cargo ship measuring 217.5 feet (66.3 meters) in length. She was deployed as an artificial reef in 1985 and was broken up by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. She sits on a sandy seafloor at a depth of 71 feet (21.5 meters).
Rio Miami was a tugboat that was sunk as an artificial reef on November 28, 1989. She sits upright on a sandy seabed at a depth of 75 feet (23 meters), with a list to her starboard side. The wreck forms part of the Miami Beach Wreck Trek.
RMS Rhone was a British Royal Mail sail-steamer that sank off Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands during a hurricane on October 29, 1867. The ship now rests in several pieces at depths ranging from 85 feet (26 meters) up to snorkeling depth.
The San Pablo, known locally as the Russian Freighter, was sunk by a German U-boat offshore from Costa Rica and refloated and towed to northern Florida. She she was blown up as part of a secret weapons test by the U.S. government in August 1944 just off Pensacola’s coast.
Scuba Bowl is the deepest of the corner sites and is also the most exposed to the strong currents that often wrap around the southeast corner of the island. As a result, Scuba Bowl is often explored as a drift dive.
Shark Planeos is an artificial reef and underwater art exhibit located on the south side of Great Dog Island that consists of three light aircraft that have been converted to sharks. They were deployed as artificial reefs in 2019.
The SS President Coolidge is the largest shore-accessible artificial reef in the world. The ship lies on her starboard side on na gently sloping seabed, with the bow at 57 feet (17.5 meters) and the stern below 200 feet (61 meters).
The Maze is a deep wall dive on Grand Cayman’s East End. This site is suitable for all divers, but those with more experience will feel more comfortable exploring the maze-like channels that the site is famous for.
Tortuga was originally an offshore supply vessel. Her real claim to fame was as a prop in the 90s movie “Fair Game” starring Cindy Crawford and William Baldwin. The vessel was blown up with dynamite in the dramatic climax of the movie.
The Tugboat wreck is popular dive and snorkel site located just south of Jan Thiel in Curaçao. The site consists of a small drop-off and a shallow plateau, ranging in depth from about 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters), where a small tugboat wreck is located.
The USS Tucker was a U.S. destroyer that struck a sea mine on August 4, 1942 in the Segond Channel adjacent to Espiritu Santo. The wreck lies at a depth of around 60 feet (18.5 meters) and is spread across nearly 540 feet (165 meters) of gently sloping seabed.
The Willy T was originally a floating bar and restaurant, before being sunk as an artificial reef in 2019. The wreck lies on a sandy seabed at a maximum depth of around 67 feet (20.5 meters) with masts that extend to a depth of 38 feet (11.5 meters).
Wreck Alley is a series of four shipwrecks that can be visited in the same dive. The wrecks were all sunk deliberately as artificial reefs to create diver attractions off the coast of Cooper Island at a depth of between 85 and 90 feet (26 and 27.5 meters) adjacent to a natural reef slope.
YDT-14 was a U.S. Navy Yard Diving Tender (YDT) built during World War II. The Escambia County artificial reef program deployed her as an artificial reef in April 2000 along with her sister ship, YTD-15, which sits just 600 or so feet (200 meters) to the southeast.
