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vagaries influence this rather inexact science, the Bibb landed on its port side. The
ships are 327 feet long and were built for speed, which means their beams are a
relatively narrow 40 feet. Since the Bibb came to rest on its side, it became a much
deeper dive site at 90 to 130 feet.
The Duane makes for an excellent multilevel dive; divers can explore the
propellers on the seafloor, the stern deck at 107 feet, the wheelhouse at 90 feet
and then ascend along the radar tower, which rises to within 40 feet of the surface.
The Duane is the more popular of the two wrecks by far, and though it may
be shallower, it has its challenges as well. Typically these exist in the form of the
Gulf Stream currents that rage so fiercely at times that the site’s three mooring
buoys are pulled underwater. On those days a prudent captain will head north a
few miles and may find entirely different conditions waiting on what has become
the king of Key Largo wreck dives, the 512-foot USS Spiegel Grove. But on those
special days when the current is minimal and visibility reaches 120 feet, there may
be no better wreck dive anywhere in the Western Hemisphere than the Duane.
The waters that wash over the wreck nourish an astoundingly colorful array of
filter feeders. Turtles rest in the radar tower, and formations of barracuda cruise
along the mooring lines. Massive schools of grunt clog the wheelhouse, while huge
tarpons and Caribbean reef sharks appear frequently. Because it is at the heart of a
pelagic pathway, even whale sharks and mantas may be seen.
The Bibb and the Duane were donated to the Florida Keys by the U.S. Department
of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), but they still had to
be cleaned of contaminants and towed from Boston to Key Largo. Such things
are very expensive today; it cost $1.2 million to sink the Spiegel Grove in 2002
and closer to $10 million to sink the USS Vandenberg off Key West in 2009.
The USS Oriskany, sunk off the
Florida Panhandle in 2006, is the
grand champion of artificial reef
extravagance, costing more than $20
million. The Bibb and the Duane were
sunk for just $300,000; they are gifts
that keep on giving to wreck-diving
enthusiasts in the Florida Keys.
—
Stephen Frink
STEPHEN FRINK
The USCGC Duane on Nov. 27, 1987, its last day above water.
Below: Nourished by nutrient-rich Gulf Stream currents, the
Duane is now home to a vibrant array of marine life.
STEPHEN FRINK
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