Key Largo, Florida, United States
The Elbow is a kink in the outer reef tract north of Key Largo where the line of reef bends from a north-south to an east-west orientation. The change in geometry has trapped several ships over the centuries and the site is famous for the wreck remains scattered along the spurs: the City of Washington, a 99-metre US passenger steamer driven onto the reef in 1917 while under tow, lies broken up across the shallow spurs in 7 to 12 metres; the Tonawanda, a Civil War-era paddle-wheel steamer lost in 1866, contributes the boilers and walking-beam engine that crown the highest spur; and the Civil War munitions ship Hannah M. Bell adds ballast and iron knees in the deeper grooves. Reef life is excellent: large goliath grouper, schools of horse-eye jacks, hawksbill turtles, queen angelfish and southern stingrays. Depths run from 7 metres on the wreck remains to 21 metres on the outer ledge. Currents can be brisk on the corner; the site is moored only inside the Florida Keys NMS.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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