USS Oriskany sunk to become largest artificial reef for scuba divers May 18, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : News, WreckDiving , trackback
The USS Oriskany was sunk yesterday to become the largest artificial reef in the world, a culmination of 3 years of work by the US navy and envirnomental groups. It conducted several scientific studies to make sure that the USS Oriskany would create an environmentally safe reef on the Florida seabed.
The ship was sunk at a depth of 65 m (212 feet) at mean low water. This means that the shallowest part of the vessel should be at 19 m (61 feet). Modifications have been made to the ship for the safety of recreational divers. These include the removal of protrusions on bulkheads, and of glass from windows. You can’t dive it yet though: diving is currently restricted to allow for the possibility of air venting.
The reefing of the ex-ORISKANY is the start of a completely new program for the Navy. It is the first vessel that the Navy has sunk intentionally to form an artificial reef.
From the navy news site;
The ex-Oriskany, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, was sunk 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., on May 17 to form an artificial reef. The 888-foot ship took about 37 minutes to sink below the surface. After 25 years of service to the Navy in operations in Korea, Vietnam and the Mediterranean, ex-Oriskany will now benefit marine life, sport fishing and recreation diving off the coast of the Florida panhandle.
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USS Oriskany sunk to become largest artificial reef for scuba divers
Great to see another dive site for scuba diving.
It was opened to diving on May 19 at noon.
More information about the site, the diving and trips can be found at http://www.DiveMightyO.com.
[…] Following the sinking of the USS Oriskany to create the world’s largest artificial reef, and the excellent photos of the wreck by the first divers able to scuba dive the wreck, there are now reports coming out about just good a dive it is. […]