Duane

The Duane is a former US Coast Guard cutter sunk deliberately in 1987 as an artificial reef off Islamorada in the Florida Keys. It sits upright on the sandy bottom in about 120 feet of water, with the deck starting around 80 feet, and is rated an advanced dive. The ship is around 327 feet long and has developed heavy coral and sponge growth over the decades, attracting large schools of baitfish, barracuda, and occasional reef sharks, and divers have also reported eagle rays passing the wreck. Its intact, upright orientation makes it relatively easy to navigate compared to broken-up wrecks, though depth and occasional current remain the main considerations. It is a popular boat dive out of Islamorada, often paired with nearby reef sites.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
• Caribbean Bluehead WrasseThalassoma bifasciatumReported here · unconfirmed
• Redband ParrotfishSparisoma aurofrenatumReported here · unconfirmed
• Bicolor DamselfishStegastes partitusReported here · unconfirmed
• Striped ParrotfishScarus iseriReported here · unconfirmed
• White GruntHaemulon plumieriiReported here · unconfirmed
• Slippery DickHalichoeres bivittatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Yellowhead WrasseHalichoeres garnotiReported here · unconfirmed
• Brazilian Ocean SurgeonfishAcanthurus bahianusReported here · unconfirmed
• Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed
• Clown WrasseHalichoeres maculipinnaReported here · unconfirmed