Belzona Barge

The Belzona Barge is an artificial reef wreck site in the waters off Miami-Dade County's northeastern coast — a barge deliberately sunk to create artificial reef habitat in the warm Atlantic waters between Miami Beach and Key Biscayne at approximately 12 meters (about 40 feet) depth. The site takes its name from the industrial repair company Belzona, whose material or association with the vessel's history before sinking gave it this distinctive designation. Despite its relatively shallow depth, the advanced rating reflects the site's character as an inshore wreck occasionally affected by turbidity, surge, and boat traffic from the busy Biscayne Bay boating corridor. The barge structure provides hard substrate in an area of sandy seafloor, and in the years since its sinking has accumulated the encrusting organisms and resident fish community typical of South Florida artificial reefs. Sponge growth covers the hull surfaces in the characteristic orange and yellow of the Atlantic sponge community, and the interior spaces and structural crevices shelter moray eels, nurse sharks, and large aggregations of grunt and snapper. Goliath grouper make periodic appearances at this and the surrounding Miami artificial reef structures, their enormous profiles commanding the attention of every diver who encounters them. Loggerhead sea turtles are commonly sighted in the Biscayne area and occasionally visit the wreck. The barge is often dived in combination with the nearby Proteus wreck and Rainbow Reef, creating a productive multi-site dive day in Miami's accessible offshore waters. The combination of Miami's year-round warm water, good visibility, and the density of artificial reef structures makes the Belzona Barge part of a genuinely rich and varied offshore dive circuit accessible from Haulover Cut or Government Cut boat launches.