About Revisions Thiorva Wreck N 25° 17.012’ W 080° 12.458’, Key Largo, FL Max Depth: 11-15ft/3-5m Average Viz: 61-70ft/19-21m Entry Type: Boat Bottom Composition: Sand Aquatic Life: Plenty To See 7/11/2008 12:22 AM

Thiorva Wreck is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located at N 25° 17.012’ W 080° 12.458’, Key Largo, FL. The maximum depth is 11-15ft/3-5m. The average visibility is 61-70ft/19-21m.

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Hello Eve,

These are the location I dove the last few years in the Keys. This is the best info I could find on the spots.

Jeff

Benwood Wreck Key Largo Fl. She is a 285-ft. 1910 English-built ship. She sailed a crew of 38 with 12 rifles and one four-inch gun. The Benwood sunk in 1942 after colliding with another ship. Her bow now lies in 25 fsw. Depths of this dive range down to 55 feet at her stern. Goatfish, grunts, moray eels, snapper, lobster, and grouper frequent this wreck. Be careful to avoid the fire coral. This is a great night dive due to the bioluminescent creatures of this location. Moderate current is often present. Divers at all levels will find this a great day-time dive. She lies between French Reef and the Dixie Shoals. She is marked by a spar buoy and four mooring buoys. GPS Location: N 25° 03.160’ W 080° 20.020’

N 25° 08.820’
W 080° 15.190’ Key Largo Fl. Elbow Reef is a popular dive spot because of its beautiful reefs that have grown around some very old shipwrecks. The Gulf Stream passes closer to Elbow than many other Key Largo reefs which means in exchange for a bit of current, the water on Elbow is usually a very clear blue to the sandy bottom. The area is sometimes called "wreck reef" because of the many ship remnants that have been found at this spot. Elbow is marked by a 36-foot light tower. There are many coral fingers in this spur-and-groove formation. There are also ledges for exploration which shelter large amounts of marine life.The depth ranges from 25fsw to 55fsw. The deepest portion of the reef is the southern section which is marked by a buoy. Here the bottom slopes toward a ledge known as "Nelson’s Ledge". At the ledge the bottom drops more steeply to sandy bottom at 85fsw. Giant barrel sponges, brain and star corals cover the bottom. GPS Location N 25° 08.820’ W 080° 15.190’ 

N 25° 07.840’
W 080° 17.660’ Key Largo, Fl. Northern Dry Rocks, which is a shallow reef with depths of 10fsw up to 15fsw. The reef is smaller than the Key Largo Dry Rocks but offers everything except for the well-known Christ of the Deep statue. However, divers may prefer this site if they are not particularly interested in the statue and are looking for a less populated location. 
Groupers and great barracuda are commonly seen here. Divers who choose to explore crevices will find Florida’s spiny lobster hiding. This is a great dive for those looking to avoid heavy traffic but still experience a beautiful location.
The reef is marked off by three mooring buoys with the letter "N" inscribed upon them. This area contains a .05 square nautical mile Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA) which is marked by yellow buoys. GPS Location N 25° 07.840’ W 080° 17.660’
N 25° 02.057’
W 080° 20.893’ Key Largo Fl. French Reef is one of the most spectacular reef areas in the Keys. There are dozens of ledges, tunnels, and caves; most large enough to swim through. You may want to bring a light for the caves and tunnels. The Hourglass Cave is located 50 feet inshore from buoy F1 and the Christmas Tree Cave is located 50 feet inshore of buoy F3. Each cave offers a chance to uncover hidden sea life. While buoy F5 marks a sandbank with coral ridges around, F6 marks a swim-through and inshore of F7 is a ledge near and old anchor. Located in the center of French Reef is the "White Sand Bottom Cave" which is the largest cave in the area. Depth is from 15fsw to 100fsw. GPS Location: N 25° 02.057’ W 080° 20.893’

N 25° 13.314’
W 080° 12.690’ Key Largo, Fl. Carysfort Lighthouse marks the main body of the 4 mile long Carysfort Reef system. The lighthouse is the oldest functioning lighthouse of its type in the US, built in 1852. Carysfort Reef is named for the 28 gun frigate HMS Carysford, which ran aground in 1770. 13 mooring buoys surround the lighthouse, each marking a dive spot. Depth is 5fsw to 80fsw. The lighthouse lies 6 miles off of Key Largo. The visiblity and coral are magnificent. Carysfort Reef is one of the best developed reef systems in the Keys. Located ENE of the tower is "Carysfort Trench" (a.k.a., "Caryfort Wall"). The wall drops 65-80 ft. to a sandy bottom. 5 cannons from the 1800s rest in 15 ft. of water 1/2 mile to the north of the tower. 2 large anchors thought to be from an 1800s frigate rest in 30-40 ft. of water 400 yards NNW of the tower.

N 25° 12.178’
W 080° 13.516’ Key Largo Fl. H.M.S. Winchester is a 933 ton British man-of-war that sank in 1695 after running aground on Carysfort Reef. Most of this 145 foot ship is encrusted with coral making it difficult to locate, and there are no mooring buoys marking this wreck. Very little remains of the vessel, but ballast stones from the River Thames, cannon balls, and pins can still be found on the site. Depth is 15fsw to 28fsw. The Winchester is approximately 1.5 miles southwest of Carysfort Light. GPS Location: N 25° 12.178’ W 080° 13.516’

N 25° 06.711’
W 080° 18.312’ Key Largo Fl. Grecian Rocks is about 3/4 of a mile south-southwest of the Christ of the Deep. Mooring Buoys marked with a, "G" outline this shallow reef which is a prime location for snorkeling. The 4 to 6 foot depth in many areas draws snorkelers to the large amounts of tropical fish. The entire area ranges in depth from 4fsw to 25fsw. 75 ft. south lies an old Spanish cannon that was placed there several years ago. The reef itself is 1/2 a mile long and during low tide, part of the area is awash. Many of the fish as well as queen conch in this area can be seen on the white sand plateau that joins the reef. The fish are friendly and some are interested in being hand-fed. There is a beautiful cluster of star coral on the shoreward side of the reef.
The reef also contains a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA) which is .3 square nautical miles. GPS Location: N 25° 06.711’ W 080° 18.312’

 

N 25° 17.012’
W 080° 12.458’ Key Largo, Fl. Thiorva Wreck. At the north end of Turtle Reef, this wreck lies in 10 - 15 fsw. This unidentified wreck may be the remains of an old schooner. N