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Benwood Wreck
 N 25° 03.160’ W 080° 20.020’, Key Largo, FL
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Max Depth: 51-60ft/16-18m
Average Viz: 81-90ft/25-27m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Sand
Aquatic Life: Plenty To See
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Rating: 3.98 by 117 divers
Winter: 71-75°F/22-24°C
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Benwood Wreck is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located at N 25° 03.160’ W 080° 20.020’, Key Largo, FL. This dive site has an average rating of 3.98 out of 5 from 117 scuba divers. The maximum depth is 51-60ft/16-18m. The average visibility is 81-90ft/25-27m.
GPS Location: N 25° 03.160’ W 080° 20.020’
She is a 285-ft. 1910 English-built ship. She sailed a crew of 38 with 12 rifles and one four-inch gun. The Benwood sunk in 1942 after colliding with another ship. The actual sinking of the Benwood, has been a subject of much controversy. One account is. The freighter was torpedoed during World War II by a German submarine off the Florida Keys. As she sailed in search of shallower waters, she was again hit, this time by a passing ship, the Robert C. Tuttle. Five shells on board exploded ending this ship’s possibility for being salvaged. A second account claims the two ships, the Benwood and the Tuttle, collided after rumors of German U-boats in the area required her to travel completely blacked out. The bow of the Benwood collided with the port side of the Tuttle.
From a Keys newspaper; The 360-feet long, 51-foot wide merchant marine freighter Benwood was built in England in 1910 and owned by a Norwegian company. She carried ore and was armed with 12 rifles, one four-inch gun, six depth charges, and 36 bombs.
On the night of April 9, 1942, the Benwood, under the command of Capt. Torbjørn Skjelbred, was on a routine voyage from Tampa, Florida, to Norfolk, Virginia, with a load of phosphate rock. Because of rumors of German U-boats in the area, she was traveling “blacked out” three miles off Key Largo.
As fate would have it, the Robert C. Tuttle, under the command of Captain Martin Johansen, also blacked out, was traveling in the same area on the way to Atreco, Texas.
It is reported that at 12:45 a.m., the Robert C. Tuttle sighted a black object and turned starboard (right) after signaling, "I intend to turn starboard," with one blow of the ship’s whistle. There was no response from the other ship.
At 12:50 a.m., the Benwood reported to have sighted a black object off her starboard. The captain decided to turn left and sounded the ship’s whistle twice indicating, "I intend to turn port."
Again, there was no response. Captain Skjelbred made last-minute efforts to avoid the Robert C. Tuttle by ordering the engine full astern. The maneuver failed. The ships collided.
The Tuttle survived the collision but the Benwood’s bow was crushed and taking on water. The captain turned her toward land and a half-an-hour later gave orders to abandon ship. The next day the keel was discovered broken and the ship declared a total loss.
The Benwood came to rest on a sandy slope in approximately 25 feet to 45 feet of water between Dixie Shoals (to the north) and French Reef (to the south) off of Key Largo, Florida.
Salvage began soon after the sinking and continued into the 1950s.
Her bow was dynamited to prevent a navigation hazard and her hull was used for bombing practice.
Today the Benwood, marked by a spar buoy and six mooring buoys, is protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Her peaceful remains are visited by hundreds of recreational divers. She also is an extremely popular night dive site.
The bow of the ship is the most-intact feature, forming a 25-foot profile in the water column. Large steel “knees” join the deck plate to the outer hull and sides of the vessel. These “knees” are massive reinforced triangles of steel which outline the ship’s hull shape despite the loss of the hull plates themselves.
The Benwood is a wreck that can be visited by all skill levels of divers. The added bonus is the opportunity to see the wealth of ocean flora and fauna that inhabit it.
The wreck is home to goatfish, grunts, moray eels, glassy sweepers, snapper, lobster, grouper hogfish and more. There is also an abundance of healthy of sea fans, sea whips, brain coral, sponges and fire coral. (Be careful to avoid contact with fire coral and other corals. An encounter with fire coral is painful and bumping into other types of coral will damage it.)
Night divers can be treated to a show of bioluminescent (light producing) creatures.
Moderate current is often present. Divers at all levels will find this a great day-time dive. She lies between French Reef and the Dixie Shoals. She is marked by a spar buoy and four mooring buoys.