I’m embarrassed to admit this. Although I’ve lived in Florida for decades, I’ve never thought about shipwrecks – even though there are at least nine of them in Daytona and several others off the coast of Anna Maria Island. Nope, shipwrecks were just not top of mind for this landlubber.
Until Hurricanes Ian and Nicole hit last fall.
As the storms swept away tons of sand from the beaches, the ghosts of two shipwrecks came into view here in Daytona – prompting a STORM (apologies for the pun!) of media coverage and interest from beachcombers and archeologists alike.
The first wreck – an 80-foot wooden structure dating to the 1800s — was discovered last December on the beach located just south of Rendon Park. The second smaller one (25-30 feet long) emerged in April from Ian’s and Nicole’s continued sand erosion. Both are visible from the shore, although local officials have asked that spectators use caution when exploring the wrecks.
It turns out that plumbing the ocean for shipwrecks is a hugely popular activity here in the Sunshine State – providing yet another reason to book a vacation (https://sandybeachvacay.com) and come on down!
In addition to the most recent finds, there are at least nine others in Daytona for those more experienced explorers willing to take a dive. You can find them here:
(https://iwanttotravelto.com/daytona-beach-area-ship-wrecks/)
Anna Maria Island has its own share of “wrecks.”
Located 150 feet offshore at 7th Street, the Bradenton Beach shipwreck features the remains of the SS Regina, a ship built in Ireland that transported molasses between Cuba, The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico to US ports along the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast shorelines. The molasses was primarily used for making rum. In fact, the ship was carrying 350,000 gallons of molasses to New Orleans (the primary port for the molasses trade) in 1940 when it sank in a gale-force storm after grounding on a sand bar. Today, both beginning and professional divers can experience the shipwreck, which has been designated a state underwater archeological preserve.
Anna Maria Island also boasts the wreck of a Civil War-era ship – The SS Narcissus – that fought in one of the nation’s most famous naval battles before sinking off Egmont Key, just north of the island.
The Narcissus was involved in the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864 – a milestone moment that captured a key Confederate port, along with the popular phrase “damn the torpedoes!” command attributed to Rear Admiral David Farragut as he urged his ships to proceed forward against an array of defenses. The Narcissus survived the battle, but then sank in 1866 (killing the entire crew) as it sailed north to be sold after the war.
It, too, is an underwater archeological preserve, — it became Florida’s 12th preserve in 2015. If you’d like, you can book a tour here:
https://museumsinthesea.com/narcissus/tour.htm
So, if you’re up for something new and different this year, shipwrecks are the real deal here. And especially if you have teenagers, I’m guessing they are a LOT less expensive than a day pass to the Magic Kingdom!
Welcome to summer, everyone!