Looking for a great place to dive off of Boca Grande, Sanibel, Fort Myers, Naples or Marco Island, FL? Here is a list of 12 of Southwest Florida’s best dive sites with GPS coordinates.
Visibility in this area of the Gulf is not usually as clear as the locales further south, but some great scuba diving is available at the right spots. Pick your days.
There are certainly plenty more reefs and areas to dive in this area of the Gulf of Mexico. However, the wrecks, reefs and sinkholes listed are generally the most popular top dive destinations in this Florida region.
Again, when using GPS coordinates, one tactic is to drop a central buoy marker on one waypoint.
Then, dig around the area and log updated waypoints in your GPS machine or plotter as you mark structure.
1. Baja California Reef
Latitude: 25 21.38’N , Longitude: 82 31.96’W
25 21.436’N, 82 31.979’W
25 21.522’N, 82 31.901’W
25 21.585’N, 82 31.91’W
Depth: ~ 110 to 115 ft
This is definitely on most diver’s short list of Southwest Florida’s best dive sites.
2. DOD Air Force Relay Towers Reef
This a series of 7 vertical tower structures that cover the entire water column. The metal structures are from the surface and into the bottom. Read more about the Tower Reefs diving sites here, with GPS coordinates for all.
3. Fantastico Wreck
Latitude: 26 17.78’N, Longitude: 82 49.88’W
26 17.775’N, 82 50.082’W
Depth: ~ 100 ft to 115 ft
A 200 foot long Honduran freighter that sunk in March 1993. Many fish, small and large, cover the wreck. Read more on the Fantastico Wreck here.
More of Southwest Florida’s Best Dive Sites
4. Bayronto Wreck Artificial Reef
Latitude: 26 45.80’N, Longitude: 82 50.84’W
26 45.83’N, 82 50.86’W
Depth: ~ 110 ft
5. USS Mohawk CGC Veterans Memorial Reef
Latitude: 26 33.075’N, Longitude: 82 43.481’W
Depth: ~ 87 ft
The 165 ft USCG Cutter vessel was sunk about 30 miles of of Sanibel Island, Florida. Read all about the USS Mohawk artificial reef here.
6. Paddlewheeler Wreck
Video of the Paddle Wheel Wreck Dive near Naples, FL
Expect to see a variety of fishes and sea life at the scuba diving wreck site. Big groupers, amberjacks and pelagic fish are a daily occurrence too.
7. The Captiva Blue Hole Dive Site
Latitude: 26 28.90’N, Longitude: 82 44.19’W
Depth: ~ 90 ft down to 180 ft
The Captiva Blue Hole, aka ‘The Crack’, is a submerged sink hole, located about 30 offshore from Boca Grande Florida.
8. The Black Hole
Latitude: 25 50.563’N, Longitude: 82 09.114’W
Depth: ~ 65 ft down to about 220 ft
The Black Hole is also called Naples Spring. Visibility in the sinkhole can fluctuate significantly. The 100 ft diameter opening is what remains from an ancient sinkhole spring. Proceed with caution. You may want to get experience cave diving before venturing out to this dive site.
9. Stoney Point Artificial Reef
Latitude: 26 10.273’N, Longitude: 82 54.574’W
26 10.287’N, 82 54.520’W
A river ferry boat that was sunk in 1968. Takes a little bit of time to motor out to her, but could be well worth the trip.
10. Santa Lucia Reef
Latitude: 26 5.388’N, Longitude: 81 50.626’W
Depth: ~ 20 ft to 25 ft
A 47 foot turtle boat that was sunk as an artificial reef in 1997. It is located approximately 3.8 miles west of Gordon Pass, offshore from Naples, FL.
11. Charlies Reef
Multiple GPS Coordinates:
Railroad Hopper Cars: Latitude: 26 33.373’N, Longitude: 82 43.367’W
Railroad Hopper Cars: 26 33.498’N, 82 43.128’W
Sunken Vessel: 26 33.130’N, 82 43.415’W
Sunken Barges: 26 29.975’N, 82 43.468’W
Depth: ~ 87 ft
12. The Roatan Express Shipwreck
Latitude: 26 20.358’N, Longitude: 83 22.027’W
Depth: ~ 166 ft
A 180 foot long steel hull offshore supply ship. The ship sunk in 1992 on its own accord, due to high seas, approximately 80 miles west of Fort Myers, FL.
I hope found this list of Southwest Florida’s best dive sites helpful and of interest. Hopefully the GPS coordinates and waypoints will be useful in finding these reef locations.
If you are sport fishing or scuba diving in Southwest Florida, you will want to visit these top dive site locations. Enjoy and stay safe.
