Scuba Diving 1715 Treasure Fleet Lease Sites

[treasure_yourself]

I'll be taking my wife on a cruise in a couple months and we will have some extra time in Florida. We both love scuba diving. With my love of history I thought it would be fun to scuba dive the ballast piles of the 1715 fleet. Based on my research, it is illegal to metal detect the lease sites or even remove anything 50 years old from Florida waters. But none of that is an issue because we wont be metal detecting. We're only going to be filming our dives and putting them on youtube.

My question is more about courtesy, do I need to inform the lease holders that we will be scuba diving on their lease sites? If I was them I would be leery of anyone diving on my site. Do they have any procedures for people diving with cameras?

Has anyone else done this before?

Thanks.

 

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[huntsman53]

I would think that you could possibly get in trouble doing this but have a Moderator move this Thread to the Shipwreck Forum where it will get more attention by actual Treasure Salvors and Divers. Some Salvors such as Mel Fisher's Treasures offers pay to play to dive on shipwrecks.

 

[Salvor6]

When I was working the 1715 fleet we saw other divers spearfishing or collecting lobsters. They never asked permission to dive those sites. Cameras and spear guns are OK. Just make sure you don't carry anything that looks like a metal detector.

 

[Denniss]

I'd recommend the Urca de Lima, it was one of the ships of the 1715 fleet and is now an U/W preserve

https://www.nps.gov/articles/urcadelima.htm

https://scubadiverlife.com/floridas-underwater-archaeological-preserves-urca-de-lima/

 

[PhipsFolly]

There is no law saying that you cannot dive and take photos of leased shipwreck sites... obviously if the subcontractor is working on the site using prop wash deflectors, it would not be safe. Leave only bubbles, take only pictures... don’t disturb the sites and don’t remove anything and I can’t see that there is any legality issues... you obviously are aware of the laws and are clearly respectful so I can’t imagine anyone would have issue with it...

 

[ropesfish]

Yep...it's legal to dive where ever you like, just don't run a detector.
By the time you get here in a couple of months, there won't be many boats out there digging. We will be out if the weather is good enough.
If those things coincide...your schedule and the weather conditions...you'll be in luck.
If you get to Sebastian, look me up. I can at least show you the boat and get acquainted...if the stars align, maybe we'll go diving...you never know.
My contact info is below..
Please note:
These wrecks are not as photogenic as some in the Keys or Bahamas. The 1715 ships went up on the reefs and pretty much got shredded, then salvaged inside a high energy surf zone for 303 years..but it's still pretty cool...Rio Mar is a nice dive too

Good material on the 1715 Fleet here:
http://www.1715fleetsociety.com/history/
and here:
http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/beaches/1715-fleet/1715-article.pdf

 

[PetesPockets55]

I snorkled Rio Mar 10-15 years ago with my son at low tide using a boggie board to keep us barely above the shallow reef. It probably won't work well after the Oct. rough seas start tho.
Worm reefs are easily visible at low tide and start about 20' from shore. It makes for a fun, leisurely, low impact activity even out over the deeper parts (15' - 20' as I recall). You can see the "trails" the small mangrove snapper use in their travels around the reef. As I recall I spotted a divers writing tablet as well as a couple of 24" snook.

Enjoy your visit!

 

[treasure_yourself]

There is no law saying that you cannot dive and take photos of leased shipwreck sites... obviously if the subcontractor is working on the site using prop wash deflectors, it would not be safe. Leave only bubbles, take only pictures... don’t disturb the sites and don’t remove anything and I can’t see that there is any legality issues... you obviously are aware of the laws and are clearly respectful so I can’t imagine anyone would have issue with it...

Yes, I read that you have to stay a certain distance away from salvage boats. I don't recall the exact distance at the moment.

Yep...it's legal to dive where ever you like, just don't run a detector.
By the time you get here in a couple of months, there won't be many boats out there digging. We will be out if the weather is good enough.
If those things coincide...your schedule and the weather conditions...you'll be in luck.
If you get to Sebastian, look me up. I can at least show you the boat and get acquainted...if the stars align, maybe we'll go diving...you never know.
My contact info is below..
Please note:
These wrecks are not as photogenic as some in the Keys or Bahamas. The 1715 ships went up on the reefs and pretty much got shredded, then salvaged inside a high energy surf zone for 303 years..but it's still pretty cool...Rio Mar is a nice dive too

Good material on the 1715 Fleet here:
The Official Website Dedicated to Commemorating the 300th Anniversary of the 1715 Fleet Disaster 1715 to 2015 - 1715 Fleet Society
and here:
http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/beaches/1715-fleet/1715-article.pdf

Hey thanks, I appreciate that. I'll let you know if we're going to make it there.

I snorkled Rio Mar 10-15 years ago with my son at low tide using a boggie board to keep us barely above the shallow reef. It probably won't work well after the Oct. rough seas start tho.
Worm reefs are easily visible at low tide and start about 20' from shore. It makes for a fun, leisurely, low impact activity even out over the deeper parts (15' - 20' as I recall). You can see the "trails" the small mangrove snapper use in their travels around the reef. As I recall I spotted a divers writing tablet as well as a couple of 24" snook.

Enjoy your visit!

That's cool. Sounds like it will be loads of fun.

 

[sphillips]

Sent you a pm

Yes, I read that you have to stay a certain distance away from salvage boats. I don't recall the exact distance at the moment.



Hey thanks, I appreciate that. I'll let you know if we're going to make it there.



That's cool. Sounds like it will be loads of fun.

 

[tarpon192]

It's the U.S.A.
Legal to dive, flip over rocks and see whats under them, look under ledges for lobster - shoot fish (if licensed to do so), and video what ever you want.
Just Don t put a metal detector in the water on a leased site.
The water on the inshore reefs is dirty now and has been for a good part of the summer. Inshore reefs meaning out to 50ft depth which is several miles from shore. This summer only gave a short time of good visabily on these reefs in close where the plate fleet wrecked.