JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two years ago, Joe Kistel led the charge to deliberately sink two ships about 28 miles off Jacksonville coast.
The goal was to create artificial reefs.
Last month, he and a colleague dived the site, 90-feet deep, to check it out.
The new artificial reef were teeming with fish and corals.
"We were seeing life as soon as we jumped in, before we even went down," Kistel said. "And to see the life before you’re even on the sea floor, yeah, it’s a really gratifying feeling to see that."
The corals, he said, "are the kind of growth that provides resources for other fish to survive."
The schools of fish were so thick, sometimes it was hard for Kistel to get the structures in the video.
"We saw things like amberjack, red snapper, and goliath grouper, which from a diver are really amazing to see," Kistel said.
Goliath grouper can weigh up to 800 pounds. Typically Kistel will see one or two goliath grouper on a reef, but he saws six that day.
"I'm thinking this wreck is already serving as a spawning site for the giant goliath grouper which is phenomenal because it was and is considered endangered," Kistel noted.
There was a camera shot captured during the sinking of the tugboat two years ago which showed water rushing into the captain’s wheelhouse.
Kistel explained that when he went back to the same spot last month, "I put a camera right where that same sink cam was, and while I’m doing that, the biggest goliath grouper I’ve ever seen came right up. He kept coming and kept coming. He came within two inches of the glass. He’s probably several hundred pounds. Massive, massive fish." Kistel continued, "They’re generally gentle giants but when he’s two inches from the camera, I'm like 'Well, maybe I should be a little cautious.' Then he swims off. It was pretty neat to see!"
As homes for the tiny to the tremendous, this artificial reef, only two-years-old, appears to be a success.
Kistel said charter captians often bring guests to this new artificial reef to fish.
"This vessel literally looked like a mature reef already," he said.
Artificial reefs have various goals: to create more biodiverse habitats and to provide recreational diving and fishing spots which are good for Florida’s economy. Kistel said this site checks off both boxes.
To see the entire video from Joe Kistel, click here.
A team of people worked to sink the ships two years ago. Mobro Marine provided the vessels. The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament also provided financial support.
The tugboat site is called the Jimmy Dales Reef and the sunken sailboat next to it is called the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament Reef.