Christ Presence in Key Largo

Benwood Wreck and Christ of the Abyss with Horizon Divers. 

Saturday, June 27, 2026

It was a gorgeous sunny summer day on Horizon Divers Luna Bay boat with 12 Active Divers out for adventure. 

^{Key Largo divers (from left): Steve Moore, Naixin Kang, Barbara Scavullo, Jay Abbazia, Sheila Schlafly, Rachel Davis, Deborah London, John Davis, Pamela Schatten, Francisco Alvaro, Ricardo Weisz, Nico Rivera.} 

Dive 1: Benwood Wreck - this is an natural shipwreck dating back to the WW II era when the ship was traveling blacked out in 1942 to avoid detection by the German U-boats when it collided with another blacked out boat.

This wreck is known for great marine life, and this trip did not disappoint. The first thing that caught our attention was a large free-swimming moray eel darting in and out of the structure. The bow is famous for marine life, with a huge school of snappers and grunts on the inner structure and schools of porkfish and mahogany snappers on the outside. Several large bright blue parrotfish nibbled around the wreck. Cracks in the hull revealed schools of glassy sweepers darting about, as a small loggerhead turtle cruised around the wreck.  

Dive 2: Christ of the Abyss - the Cressi family of Italy brought this replica statue to Key Largo in 1965. Since then it has survived three major hurricanes and thousands of tourist visits. It stands as an eternal benediction for protection of mariners and anyone on the open water including divers. 

Our boat moored very close to the statue. After visiting the statue we explored the nearby finger reef system with sand channels between towering canyons. We observed a large southern stingray sleeping in the sand, lots of reef fish including several very large barracuda protecting their territory. But the sighting of the day was a large almost motionless spotted eagle ray hanging out in the canyon very near the statue. It hovered for a long time to the amazement of the dives until it slowly made its pass through the canyon. A fabulous day of diving! 

-- Active Divers President and Safety Officer Rachel Davis

Underwater photos by Sheila Schlafly