Thunderbolt Wreck

The Thunderbolt Wreck lies off Marathon in the Florida Keys, sunk deliberately in 1986 as an artificial reef. The vessel was originally built as a cable-laying ship and was cleaned and prepared before being scuttled to create a dive attraction and to take pressure off the surrounding natural reefs. It sits upright on a sandy bottom in roughly 100 to 120 feet of water, with the top of the structure coming up to around 65 to 75 feet, making it a dive generally suited to divers with some wreck experience rather than beginners. Its mast and superstructure are known to attract schooling fish, and the wreck is a popular stop for boats running out of Marathon.

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

• Caribbean Bluehead WrasseThalassoma bifasciatumReported here · unconfirmed
• Bicolor DamselfishStegastes partitusReported here · unconfirmed
• Yellowhead WrasseHalichoeres garnotiReported here · unconfirmed
• Slippery DickHalichoeres bivittatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Striped ParrotfishScarus iseriReported here · unconfirmed
• Redband ParrotfishSparisoma aurofrenatumReported here · unconfirmed
• Clown WrasseHalichoeres maculipinnaReported here · unconfirmed
• Brazilian Ocean SurgeonfishAcanthurus bahianusReported here · unconfirmed
• Yellowtail SnapperOcyurus chrysurusReported here · unconfirmed
• Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed