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Marathon's Middle Reefs
Diver Skill Level  Novice  Depth 10 - 25 Feet  Current (Light to Moderate)

Here you will find a series of reefs with most of them no deeper than 25 feet. Coffin's Patch makes a great 2nd dive after a deep one. First you have the Donut. You follow the limestone ledges around the middle section. Explore the Stony, and Brain corals with all their fish hiding in them. Second the Stake an area of eroded tunneled limestone with Fire Coral ledges. Just to the west you have large Brain coral clusters. Third is the Pillar Patch just a little bit smaller than a football field with huge towers of pillar coral reaching for the surface. Pillar Coral is one of the few corals that feed during the day. This gives divers the opportunity to view these tiny coral animals. Photographers will get some great shoots here. The corals that has been knocked down  by storms in the past grows from the pieces sending new shoots reaching toward the surface. This makes for some interesting photos. Just off Grassy Key and east of Coffin Patch you find a series of ledges. The average depth is 25 feet. From the surfaces the bottom seems alive with all the fish  moving around.  
                                                                                                                      

 Reef Information Links
Sombrero Reef
Diver Skill Level  Novice   Depth 6 - 25 Feet   Current (Light to strong)

Content Keys
Diver Skill Level  Novice  Depth 8 - 15 Feet   Current (Light)

Looe Key Reef
Diver Skill Level  Novice Thru Advanced  Depth 5 - 35 Feet  Current (Light to Moderate)

Artificial Reef Information

The R.V. Thunderbolt
Diver Skill Level  Advanced  Depth 75 - 120 Feet  Current (Moderate to Strong)

The Thunderbolt was a Research Vessel used for studying lighting. It's 188 feet long and rest in 120 feet of water. It was sunk in 1986 offshore of the east end of Marathon. You start tour dive descending down the line from a permanent buoy above it. The clouds of silver bait fish greet you on your descent. At about 85 feet her bow is dominated by a large reel. This was used when she use to lay cable during World War II. The Thunderbolt was sunk leaving lots of access to her insides. You can descend 110 feet down into her hull. Diving over her stern you can examine the huge twin propellers that powered her.   

Marathon Scuba Diving