Spider Reef - Great Lakes
Turtle Reef, just off the Florida Keys, is a site we return to often, especially when we’re after a relaxed dive without compromising on marine encounters. It’s not the deepest dive, but that means more bottom time to really explore. We usually drop in early morning, just as the sun starts to properly penetrate the water, catching the reef in its best light. What we love here is the sheer density of Green Turtles. Seriously, some days you’ll spot five or six on a single dive, munching on seagrass or just cruising by. We’ve also had incredible luck finding Lined Seahorses tucked into the fan corals – they’re masters of camouflage, so a slow pace and a good eye are key. Blue Parrotfish are everywhere, their crunching sounds audible as they graze the coral. Keep an eye on the sand patches too for Eyed Flounders and Lizardfish, perfectly blended in. This site is brilliant for macro lovers and photographers, offering plenty of static subjects. It’s a gentle drift on most days, making it ideal for newer divers looking to build confidence or experienced divers wanting an easy, rewarding soak.
- Location
- Great Lakes, United States, North America
- Coordinates
- 48.814000, -87.485290
- Type
- reef
Nearby Dive Sites in Great Lakes
- Alexander Reef (reef)
- A. R. Colborn and Crane (Wrack) (wreck)
- Bermuda Wreck - 10-30m (wreck)
- Blue Water Lake
- Boulton Reef (reef)
- Car Bodies (wreck)
- Cedarville (Wrack) (wreck)
- Depot beach
- Ebar Ward
- Elmwood Wreck (wreck)
- Glenlyon
- Grand Reef (reef)
- Higgins lake
- Ironsides Reef (reef)
- Ironsides Wreck - 25-40m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Spider Reef
- Aqua Center - ["PADI"]
- Aqua Diving School - PADI, SDI
- Azimuth Scuba
- Below H2O
- Diventures
- DiVentures
Marine Life in Great Lakes
Home to 30 recorded species including 27 reef fish, 2 other, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) - Reef Fish
- Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) - Reef Fish
- Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus) - Reef Fish
- Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) - Reef Fish
- Spottail Shiner (Notropis hudsonius) - Reef Fish
- Nine-spined Stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) - Reef Fish
- Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) - Reef Fish
- Cisco (Coregonus artedi) - Reef Fish
- White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) - Reef Fish
- Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) - Reef Fish
- Jasper Longnose Sucker (Catostomus catostomus) - Reef Fish
- American Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) - Reef Fish
- burbot (Lota lota) - Reef Fish
- Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii) - Reef Fish
- Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) - Reef Fish
- coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) - Reef Fish
- Sea Trout (Salmo trutta) - Reef Fish
- sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
- Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) - Reef Fish
- Banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) - Reef Fish