Sir Scott

In April 1958, the vessel was completed at Bilbao by Compañía Easkalduna for the Spanish firm of Lakes Shipping. Originally named Lago Isoba, it measured 250 feet in length and 37.3 feet in width, with a displacement of 1,556 gross tons. Over the years, the freighter underwent several transformations: first as Labrador (1976) after being sold to Naviera Alvar Gonzalez, then as Azuero Dos (1976) under the Panamanian company Naviera Peninsular. It sailed as Atlantis III (1978) under Greek ownership and later as Atlantis V (1980) before finally being renamed Sir Scott (1980) by its last owners. In 1984, the Cayman Islands owner stripped the freighter of its engine parts and other valuable items, abandoning it along the Miami River. Fish and Game Unlimited of Homestead stepped in, purchasing the vessel for $10,000 and donating it to Miami-Dade County for use as an artificial reef. On February 1, 1985, the freighter Sir Scott was intentionally sunk using several hundred pounds of dynamite. Due to a frozen rudder that hindered towing, it ended up resting upright and intact approximately 220 feet underwater, south of Fowey Rocks and three miles east of the Ragged Keys. Quite a journey from its origins in Bilbao to its new role as an underwater habitat!