Tired of diving regular shipwrecks? Well, how about diving some planes instead, Boeing commercial aircrafts to be specific. Here’s a look at three pretty unusual dive sites that use old Boeing aircrafts to create artificial reefs and of course cool dive sites!
The first located of the coast of Miami in Florida, is a Boeing 727 jet that was sunk as part of the Key Biscayne Artificial Reef Site in 1993. The jet was meticulously cleaned, disassemble for transportation over land and reassembled for placement on a barge by its owner, Steve O’Neal. It was then lowered to the bottom of the ocean floor and anchored at depth of 82 ft. Unfortunately, the plane was hit during the Hurricane Gordon in the summer of 1995 and now lies in two sections with the main body of the jet in 82 feet of water and the tail section in 110 feet of water. Called the Spirit of Miami, the pieces of the wreck are now covered with soft corals and dotted with spiny oysters that snap their shells closed when divers approach making this dive site a favorite of Miami area divers. Another interesting story surrounding this wreck is that it’s rumored to have a time capsule hidden somewhere in the wreckage, due to be opened in 2043 or when a diver finds it whichever happens first!
Our second Boeing dive site lies in the middle of an abandoned quarry lake in Southern Illinois. The folks at Mermet Springs have more than just any Boeing 727 aircraft to boast of, the aircraft was the very same that was used in the movie US Marshals starring Tommy Lee Jone. To add to the attractions this 8.5 acre spring fed stone quarry that goes down to a max depth of 120 ft also feature a sunken school bus and ambulance to add to their repertoire underwater. While there’s no tropical fish in the Mermet Springs it does have some unusual life including some giant albino catfish as well as some crazy looking Paddlefish that even got the attention of the Nation Geographic team who have been spotted up there shooting some footage.
To top our list of airliner dive sites is the Boeing 737 in Chemainus, Vancouver- Canada. This artificial reef sunk in January or 2006, now sits at 3m/10ft off the bottom and gives the appearance of “flying” over the ocean floor. Despite rumors, the aircraft is actually in top-notch shape and very much intact with little signs of corrosion or deterioration. This recreational dive site initiated by the Artificial Reef Society of British Colombia has been rated some of the best wreck diving in North America.
