The Adolphus Busch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Adolphus Busch Wreck is a 210 foot long freighter sunk off of Looe Key, Florida, as an artificial reef and dive site[1]. The original name of the vessel was the Ocean Alley, however the wreck was named after Adolphus Busch after he purchased the vessel and arranged for its sinking as an artificial reef[2]. The boat was sunk on December 5, 1998[3].
[edit] Current Status
The Busch currently rests upright on a sand bottom at an average depth of 80 feet. Maximum depth is 110 feet. The wreck is fully penetrable, and can be entered through the bridge or cargo holds. The machinery in the engine room is still present and presents the only major entanglement hazard to divers. The glass from the wheelhouse windows and the covers to the cargo holds have been removed.
Multiple mooring balls are secured to the wreck to allow boats to tie up to the site. Reef fish are common on the site, as are large jewfish, eels, and large pelagic fish. Sharks can been seen on the reef, but are not considered typical[4].
[edit] References
- ^ Dive Sites - Florida Keys
- ^ Adolphus Busch - Marathon SCUBA Site - Dive Spots
- ^ South Florida Divers, Inc. SCUBA Club The Wrecks We Dive
- ^ Dive site page: Adolphus-Busch - wreck -LowerKeysDivesites.com:Scuba diving in Paradise, the lower Florida Keys scuba divers Key West to Big Pine Key with underwater tropical reef fish and see maps of wrecks at diveshops
