Bird Key Wreck

Bird Key Wreck, also called the Brick Wreck, is the submerged remains of a steamboat on Bird Key Bank, about half a nautical mile southwest of Garden Key. It lies in only a few feet of water and is best explored by snorkeling, so this is an in-water stop rather than a shore viewpoint. The published coordinates mark the wreck itself, not a safe anchoring or landing point. Strong currents sometimes sweep across the bank; confirm a safe approach before planning a visit. Dive flags are required, and wrecks and artifacts are protected.

This was a screw-driven steamboat about 107 feet long and 17 feet wide, with a shallow, flat-bottomed hull built around an iron frame, iron bottom plates and a wooden exterior. It listed to starboard. Its bow struck the bank, buckled and split the vessel in two. Salvagers removed its engine and most machinery; storms later spread the wreckage farther across the bank. A large four-bladed iron propeller is one of the clearest pieces left.

Coral and other reef life have grown around the propeller and scattered remains; the surrounding habitat supports reef fish and lobster, and fire coral is also reported here. The Dry Tortugas reefs lie beside old shipping routes and have trapped nearly 300 vessels over time. If conditions and access allow a photo, keep the propeller together with some of the sandy bottom and reef growth so the image shows both the wreck and its underwater setting. Leave the wreck and artifacts undisturbed.