Tarpon

Located in 95 feet of water, 9 miles southwest of the St. Andrews jetties, this 130 foot, twin-screw steamer is a natural wreck. Although there is significant damage, the smokestack, bow and part of the stern are still relatively intact. This site was designated as Florida’s 6th Underwater Archaeological Preserve so remove no artifacts – that includes any of the thousands of beer bottles littering the bottom around the wreck. Due to depth this is an intermediate/advanced dive site. When the Tarpon went down in August of 1937, the crew only had time to launch one lifeboat – which then capsized. Out of 31 crew and passengers, 13 survivors were rescued – and 18 bodies were recovered, including the Captain, Willis Green Barrow whose bad decisions, first to overload the ship with cargo and then to continue on course rather than head to shore after beginning to take on water, doomed the ship. Popular over the years with sport fishermen as well as divers, lots of marine life makes the site their home, including moray eels, grouper, amberjack, flounder, larger tropical fish, lobster and spadefish as well as the larger predator fish

Notes: Marine Preserve, Mooring Buoys