SS Benwood (Wreck)

Christmas Tree Cave is a fun swim through located in the French Reef Sanctuary Protected Area. It’s named Christmas Tree Cave for the large Star Coral Formation on the top.

French Reef is a Sanctuary Protected Area located about seven miles southeast of Key Largo. It ranges in depth from about fifteen feet to forty feet. It’s known for having winding channels and a plethora of fun swim throughs.

French Twist is one of many sites included in the French Reef Sanctuary Protected Area. It’s in the shallow part of the reef so depths range between 15ft and 30ft and has some excellent swim throughs.

Hardbottom Cave is located in the French Reef Sanctuary Protected Area and is a fun swim through. Depths around this area range between 20 ft and 35ft.

Aquarium is a gorgeous dive site located on Molasses Reef. It always has a plethora of fish life around the high-profile coral formations. While current can sometimes be a factor to consider here, the coral is high enough to hide behind for the majority of the dive.

The Winch Hole is a spectacular dive site that has high profile coral around a large pit. A massive winch it lies in the pit and makes for great photo opportunities.

Molasses Reef is one of the most popular dive areas in the Florida Keys. There are 30-33 specific dive sites located on Molasses Reef alone. The reef is shallow and very clear with lots of life, making it a great area for divers of all levels and snorkelers as well.

Banana Patch is on the southern end of the Grecian Rocks area. The reef gets its name from a long sloping ledge that bends around like a banana as it heads out to sea. The top of the ledge is about 10 feet, and it runs off into about 40 feet. There are healthy hard and soft corals, and the colors are very bright.

Eagle Ray Alley is located between North Star and The Winch Hole dive sites. This shallow site consists of a large of sand channel that runs seaward from Molasses Shallow to Logan’s Run. The high relief coral ledges on either side of the channel have deep undercuts offering protection for a variety of marine life.

At the far South end of Molasses Reef, at the base of mooring ball number 21, you will find the massive old Spanish Anchor. This end of Molasses Reef tends to get a bit of current, sometimes even making it not dive-able. You might see sea turtles, loggerhead turtles, Reef Sharks, Bull Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks