Pensacola, FLORIDA
GPS: 30°11.333’N, 87°13.057’W
Russian Freighter
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.
The San Pablo, known locally as the Russian Freighter, was built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1915. She started her career carrying bananas from Central America to the United States. Early on in World War II, she was sunk by a German U-boat offshore from Costa Rica and refloated and towed back up to northern Florida. Amid rumors of foreign spies and espionage, she exploded in August 1944 just off Pensacola’s coast, hence the origin of her nickname. In reality, she was blown up as part of a secret weapons test by the U.S. government that featured a radio-controlled boat and 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg) of explosives. The wreckage currently sits at a maximum depth of 83 feet (25.5 meters) on a sandy seabed. The freighter was originally 315 feet (96 meters) in length, but the well-contained debris fields stretches nearly 400 feet (122 meters). She supports an incredible array of marine life as well as the highest concentration of toadfish found in the surrounding waters.
