Blue Fire
Wreck · Miami Beach
25° 33.997' N 80° 05.431' W
Advanced Open Water Max 110 ft Avg 85 ft Temporary Line
Today AMPoor
Details
Advanced Open Water
Minimum recommended certification
- Max depth
- 110 ft
- Average depth
- 85 ft
- Access
- Temporary Line
- Sea state today
- AMPoor PMPoor
Video
🎥 ISDC
Pictures 3
Where it is
25° 33.997' N 80° 05.431' W
Next boats to this site 0
No confirmed trips to this site are listed yet.
Operators that dive here
Best Gas
Gas prices
| Diluent tank | $35.50 |
| O2 tank | $10.00 |
atm
atm
Gas prices
| Aluminum 80 | $10 |
| Steel HP 100 | $10 |
| Steel LP 85 | $10 |
NDL at is
24 hr min surface interval
Always use a dive computer
Wreck Details
Sunk January 7th, 1983
Freighter
175 ftLength
? ftBeam
Site description
The Blue Fire, a 175-ft freighter, sank in January 1983 at a depth of 110 ft. It was seized by the Coast Guard during the Cuban Exodus. Despite being fairly broken up, the wreck remains fairly upright on a white sandy bottom. Divers find it easy and safe to penetrate, and it teems with sea life, including cobia, grouper, amberjack, barracuda, and parrotfish. Photographers especially enjoy exploring this site.
Penetration is possible and actually there is a lot still to discover in this site.
Route & typical conditions
Route
Divers may want to explore the outside of the wreck first. The structure is easy to follow and always attractive. Given it current state, marine life is very attracted to this wreck. Probably also the fact that it sits in close proximity to a natural reef.
Divers shall be careful if attempting to penetrate, as the wreck has been underwater for quite a long time.
Typical conditions
Visibility varies a lot in this site and often in the low end of the scale: divers shall expect 20 to 50 feet visibility. Current are often very mild and heading north.
Wreck history
In June 1980, the freighter Blue Fire participated in the “Freedom Flotilla” during the Mariel Boat Lift, intending to transport up to 5,000 refugees from Cuba to Florida. However, on July 5, 1980, the US Coast Guard intercepted the vessel approximately 37 miles south of Cuba as it headed for the Cayman Islands after departing from Mariel Harbor. Strangely, on July 9, 1980, the Blue Fire mysteriously appeared in Miami under Coast Guard escort, devoid of exiles and occupied only by its seven crewmen. The US government seized the vessel, eventually repurposing it as an artificial reef.
The dive site of the Blue Fire wreck near Fowey Rocks tells a tale of Hurricane Andrew’s power. Less than a decade after its deployment, the storm struck, significantly impacting the wreck. The aft bridge superstructure tore away from the lower hull and stern, the cargo hold displayed a prominent bend, and the bow was sharply kicked over to starboard. Divers exploring this site witness both history and nature’s forces at work!
Divers' uploaded pictures
No diver pictures yet.
