Sea Emperor - Florida Keys
The Sea Emperor, just off the Florida Keys, makes for a solid wreck dive, particularly if you appreciate a well-established artificial reef. It’s a purposeful sinking, a 200-foot dredge barge that went down in 1982, and it’s had plenty of time to become home. We typically find Goliath groupers lurking in the shadows and schools of grunts milling about the superstructure. The wreck is largely broken up, but that just creates more nooks and crannies for exploration. It's a good pick for divers looking for a relaxed, multi-level profile, letting you poke around at different depths without feeling rushed.
- Location
- Florida Keys, United States, North America
- Coordinates
- 26.324333, -80.061485
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: SS Copenhagen Underwater Archaeological Preserve
Best Time to Dive in Florida Keys
The warmest water temperatures in Florida Keys occur in July, averaging 31.5°C (up to 34.8°C). The coolest conditions are in January at 19.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 19.3°C (air: 18.5°C)
- February: 20.5°C (air: 21.6°C)
- March: 23.1°C (air: 22.4°C)
- April: 25.5°C (air: 24.3°C)
- May: 27.8°C (air: 25.9°C)
- June: 30.2°C (air: 27.5°C)
- July: 31.5°C (air: 28.3°C)
- August: 31.5°C (air: 28.3°C)
- September: 30.2°C (air: 27.3°C)
- October: 27.3°C (air: 26.0°C)
- November: 24.1°C (air: 22.3°C)
- December: 20.9°C (air: 19.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Florida Keys
- 1 Girón
- 9-foot Stake (reef)
- Ajax Reef (reef)
- Alexander Springs
- Alligator Reef (reef)
- Anglin Pier Ledge - 10m (reef)
- Anglin’s Pier Reef - 5-15m (reef)
- Aquarium - 10m
- Ball and Chain - 11m
- Banana Patch Reef - 10m (reef)
- Barracuda Dive Centre
- Beach House - 19m
- Blue Grotto Spring (cave)
- Boynton Comb Reef (reef)
- Boynton Ledges - 21m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Sea Emperor
Marine Life in Florida Keys
Home to 91 recorded species including 69 reef fish, 6 sharks & rays, 3 other, 3 hard corals, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) - Sharks & Rays
- Blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Cowfish (Rhinoptera bonasus) - Sharks & Rays
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus) - Sharks & Rays
- Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) - Sharks & Rays
- Prodigal Son (Rachycentron canadum) - Reef Fish
- Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) - Reef Fish
- Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna) - Reef Fish
- Least Killifish (Heterandria formosa) - Reef Fish
- Florida Cone (Conus anabathrum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Bream (Lagodon rhomboides) - Reef Fish
- Common mojarra (Eucinostomus gula) - Reef Fish
- Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna tiburo) - Sharks & Rays
- Pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera) - Reef Fish
- Lined Sole (Achirus lineatus) - Reef Fish
- Inshore Lizardfish (Synodus foetens) - Reef Fish
- Freshwater Flounder (Trinectes maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Herring (Harengula jaguana) - Reef Fish
- American Gulf Pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Sea Emperor
Based on average water temperature of 26.0°C, currents 1 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 26°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories