Breakers Reef

Breakers Reef is a productive natural reef system in the waters off Palm Beach, Florida — a section of the Florida Reef Tract running parallel to the Palm Beach coastline at depths reaching approximately 20 meters (65 feet) that offers advanced divers a classic Southeast Florida ledge diving experience enhanced by the proximity of the Gulf Stream, which brings warm, clear blue water and pelagic nutrients close to shore along this section of the coast. The reef takes its name from its relative proximity to the historic Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, and the offshore waters in this zone consistently produce excellent diving conditions when the Gulf Stream presses against the coastline. The natural reef structure here consists of the limestone ledge formations characteristic of Southeast Florida — low-profile but productive, with undercut faces and crevices that shelter large aggregations of fish and provide resting places for nurse sharks and sea turtles. Yellowtail snapper hover in golden-finned schools just off the ledge face, their numbers sometimes impressive enough to briefly block the view of the reef structure behind them. Mutton snapper and grouper occupy the prime territorial spots along the ledge base. The exposed position of this reef section means it periodically receives the full influence of the Gulf Stream, bringing dramatically improved visibility — sometimes 30 to 60 feet — and the occasional pelagic visitor swept in from open water: oceanic whitetip sharks, mahi-mahi, and wahoo have all been sighted along this section of the Palm Beach reef corridor. Loggerhead and green sea turtles are regular occupants of the reef, feeding on sponges and invertebrates attached to the limestone surfaces. Goliath grouper make seasonal appearances around the larger structural features. Boat access from Palm Beach-area dive operators.