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Etoile de Mer
76 ft Tech Wreck
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Etoile de Mer
Wreck · Miami Beach also known as etoile,customs reef,etolie
25° 41.963' N 80° 04.990' W
Advanced Open Water Max 131 ft Avg 120 ft Hot Drop
Today AMPoor
Details
Advanced Open Water
Minimum recommended certification
- Max depth
- 131 ft
- Average depth
- 120 ft
- Access
- Hot Drop
- Sea state today
- AMPoor PMPoor
Video
🎥 ISDC
Pictures 5
Where it is
25° 41.963' N 80° 04.990' W
Next boats to this site 1
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 Jul 13th, 2001
Freighter
80 ftLength
? ftBeam
Site description
This is a small but interesting diving site. Given its depth, it often done as a technical dive - recreational profiles will give around 10 minutes of bottom time prior to decompression.
Marine life is rich and so are fishing line. All kind of tropical fish can be found in here: angel fish, parrot fish, surgeon fish and hog fish. The presence of barracudas is almost guaranteed.
Divers have reported seeing schools of scalloped hammerheads swimming around this wreck occasionally.
It's a small wreck so divers should be able to explore the entire site in one dive.
Route & typical conditions
Route
Conducted mostly as a technical dive, the Etoile de Mer is part of the Custom's Reef - together with fellow criminals: Miguana, Bradywine and Tacoma.
This wreck is the first wreck from the west and sits a couple of feet shallow to the other suspects. A small swim to the east will put divers on the Miguana. The Tacoma can be found 500 feet northwest of this location.
Divers can visit the cargo holds if properly trained for penetration.
Typical conditions
Conditions vary in this site. Summer times can offer better visibility and more light, while winter tends to be darker at depth. Currents can be strong which should be considered carefully if attempting to visit other wrecks in the area.
Wreck history
The Etoile DeMer, which means “Star Fish” in French, was an 80-foot-long former fishing vessel. Later, it was converted and used as an inter-island freighter. On January 18, 2001, the Etoile DeMer was seized by the US Customs Service following an anonymous tip about suspicious activity while the ship was moored in the Miami River. As part of “Operation Riverwalk,” agents inspected the freighter and discovered 186 pounds of cocaine, valued at $1.5 million wholesale. The cocaine was hidden in two duffel bags behind a false wall between the cargo hold and the engine room.
The US government seized the vessel, and it was eventually sunk along with two other Miami River narcotic-smuggling ships—the Brandy Wine and the Miguana—on July 13, 2001. The Etoile De Mer now rests in 135 feet of water off Key Biscayne at the US Customs Reef. It’s a short swim west of the Miguana, and swimming east from the Etoile DeMer’s bow will lead you to the Miguana’s bow. To find the Tacoma, swim approximately 500 feet northwest.
Divers' uploaded pictures
No diver pictures yet.
