Naples is situated on the western Florida coast, just south of the Everglades. It is famed for its long, white beaches and warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. All the waters around Naples in the Gulf of Mexico have several giant turtles, sharks and bigger fish than most of the Florida coast. Sadly many of the dives are a short boat ride away, so it is best to go on organised diving trips. A local dive shop in the area, Florida Scuba Depot, runs regular snorkelling and scuba diving trips out to the reefs and wrecks.

The Santa Lucia was a refugee boat used by Cubans in the early 1990's. It was several years later that it was used as an artificial reef site. Because the dive is only around 20 feet deep, it is ideal for the novice wreck diver as an introduction to wreck diving. Around this site you can normally spot nurse sharks and jewfish. Visibility is usually bad in this area, usually being limited to 10-12 feet, although in bad weather it can drop to only a few feet.

The Fantastico was a freight ship used for shipping farming supplies north up the Florida coast. It sunk in 1993 just off the Naples coast. The dive is usually around 105 feet, and getting in can sometimes be very tricky; so it is only for the experienced penetration technical diver. The sea life around the ship is mainly eels and masses of larger fish such as jewfish. Definitely an interesting dive for the adventurous amongst you!

About the Author

I am a keen diver and I enjoy diving in many different sites around the globe. When I'm not exploring wrecks I work for Outdoor Watches.