Wreck of the Benwood
The old tale of a WWII German submarine torpedo attack still makes the rounds, but the true nature of this ship’s sinking must have been only slightly less terrifying. British-built in 1910, the Benwood was 360ft long with a 51ft beam. Her last voyage began on April 6, 1942, when she left Tampa, Florida, for Norfolk, Virginia, loaded with phosphate rock.
The Benwood was running without navigation lights, as required at the time due to the possibility of attack by German submarines. The 544ft tanker Robert C. Tuttle was headed in the opposite direction, also without lights. Unfortunately, both vessels veered off course. In the blackness of 1 in the morning on April 9, the Benwood’s bow smashed into the port side of the Tuttle. Desperate to save his ship, the Benwood’s captain deliberately grounded the stricken vessel on the reef about six miles south of The Elbow. After rescuing the crew of the Benwood, the Tuttle made it safely to port.
Over the years the wreck was used for bombing practice by the military and was intentionally demolished as a hazard to navigation. Now reduced to the crumpled but intact bow section, the bottom of the hull and scattered metal plating, the Benwood is one of the fishiest dives in a fishy sanctuary. Marked by four mooring buoys and one spar buoy, the wreck is about 25ft deep at her stern and 45ft at her bow.
The remaining structures and shallow depth make this an excellent choice for underwater photography, as well as a great night dive. The reds, yellows and purples of the encrusting sponges and corals come alive under the beam of your dive light. Macrophotographers will find hundreds of subjects at night on the wreck.
Benwood’s Outside Wall is a deeper feature at about 80ft that few divers see because the wreck takes up all their bottom time. More like a terrace, this site is immediately seaward of the Benwood and is reached fairly easily from the outer mooring buoy. Chances are good of spotting a turtle or other large animal among the scattered corals here.
Reproduced with permission from Diving & Snorkeling Florida Keys 2001 Lonely Plant Publications www.lonelyplanet.com