Wiakawa Swim Spot

The Araby Maid was a 125-foot, three-masted schooner that carried cargo along the eastern seaboard of the United States. In October 1865, shortly after the end of the Civil War, she was sailing from Pensacola, Florida, with a full load of lumber. As she navigated the Florida Straits, she was caught in a violent hurricane that drove her relentlessly towards the shallow reefs of the Florida Keys. The powerful storm proved too much for the vessel, and she was smashed apart upon Crocker Reef, just off the coast of modern-day Islamorada.

The remains of the Araby Maid are now a popular shallow dive and snorkel site. Resting in just 15 to 25 feet of clear, warm water, the wreck is accessible to all experience levels. While the wooden structure of the schooner has long since been claimed by the sea, the most prominent feature is the large pile of granite ballast stones that once kept the ship stable. These stones now form the foundation of a vibrant mini-reef, encrusted with coral and teeming with life. Divers can explore the ballast pile and surrounding seagrass beds, spotting moray eels, lobsters, and countless species of colorful reef fish that have made the historic wreck their home.