Sapona

Fast Facts:

• Average Depth: 15 ft. / 5 m
• Max Depth: 20 ft. / 6 m

Features:

• Wreck Site
• Artificial Reef
• Good Snorkeling

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The 270-foot Sapona was built by Henry Ford in 1911. She served as a troop transport for just one trip during World War I. After the war, the Sapona was used by rumrunners between the Bahamas and Florida during Prohibition. Some say she was anchored and turned in to a private drinking and gambling club or simply a storage warehouse for rum. A hurricane in the late 1920s drove the ship aground between South Bimini and Cat Cay, where she only partially submerged.

Today, the Sapona is very popular with divers and snorklers. A large portion of the ship remains above water. With such a shallow depth it is a great place for beginning divers to practice wreck-diving.

Part of the stern was ripped and submerged during the 2004 hurricanes. The twisted metal and numerous holes attract a good deal of marine life. Divers will see trigger fish, grunts and large lobsters. The bow is the easiest to penetrate safely. Look for a grouping of orange cup corals in the bow. The engine room is open enough for a diver to stand. The huge prop is a cool sight. Divers are still finding bullet holes and ammunition left from U.S. Navy and Air Force target practice during World War II.

There is no mooring buoy, so private boaters must take care when anchoring. There can be shallow breakers and odd currents also.