Sea Emperor

Fast Facts:

Average Depth: 45 ft. / 14 m
Max Depth: 70 ft. / 21 m

Features:

Artificial Reef
Wreck Site

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Approximately one mile southeast of the Boca Raton Inlet lies the wreckage of the 171-foot Sea Emperor. This hopper barge lies upside-down in 72 feet of water and is surrounded by 1,600 tons of drainage pipes and concrete pilings. These objects were originally intended to sit on the deck of the boat, but the ship flipped over while going down. Penetration is possible in many places along this wreck.

The sea life here is rich and diverse. The drainage pipes have become home to many varieties of sea life. Two stingrays named Ray and Stubby, a Moray eel named Baby, and a couple of Jewfish named Fred and Ethel are regularly sighted at this location. Nurse sharks, grouper, and snook also inhabit the area. One hundred feet east of the wreck is Stingray Alley, an area used to feed the southern stingray population that lives in this portion of the ocean.