Spiegel Grove

Key Largo, FLORIDA
GPS: 25° 03.969′ N, 80° 18.735’W

USS Spiegel Grove was one of eight ships of the Thomaston-class of U.S. Navy landing ship docks. She was decommissioned in 1989 before being towed to Florida and sunk in May 2002 to form an artificial reef. The sinking did not go according to plan and left the boat capsized with her bow sticking out of the water. With additional effort, she was successfully scuttled, and she finally rested on her starboard side at a depth of 130 feet (39.5 meters). However, swell and currents generated by Hurricane Dennis in 2005 pushed her upright on to her keel – the position originally planned for her sinking. Spiegel Grove is one of the largest wrecks in the Florida Keys and is a popular dive site for those with an advanced certification or higher. Penetration of the upper decks requires experience and training within overhead environments.