Hesperus / Turtle Wreck

Fast Facts:

• Average Depth: 20 ft. / 6 m
• Max Depth: 35 ft. / 11 m

Features:

• Wreck Site
• Mooring Buoys
• Artificial Reef
• Good Snorkeling

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The Hesperus is a shallow wreck on the Grand Bahama Bank that is a favorite spot for photography and for night dives. It has been called the Turtle Wreck because of the numerous loggerhead turtles that gather on the wreck at night. This cement barge sunk with its cargo, so bags of hardened cement can be seen along the bottom and on the ship. Snorkelers can enjoy the wreck since the top of the structure is less than 10 feet underwater. The ship sits on the sandy bottom at about 20 feet. It is surrounded by sea grass making a nice boundary to keep novice divers from getting lost.

Night divers report seeing stingrays, lobsters, trigger fish, red snapper, kingfish, mackerel, pompano, cobias and grunts, along with the loggerheads. Many divers have also spotted large schools of barracuda, remoras and nurse and reef sharks. Blacktip and hammerhead sharks have even been spotted swimming around and through the Hesperus.

Because the wreck is shallow, there is usually plenty of sunlight which has fostered a burst of colorful coral growth. The coral is packed with hundreds of tropical fish. There is generally no need for a dive light to see the bright splashes of reds, yellows and purples of the reef.