Hey FL divers; what the heck is this?

BelchFire

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #1

I was cruising over Google Earth on my 'puter (wishin I was divin!) and came across what looks like an artificial reef off the coast of Tampa/St. Pete. You can see it on Google Earth at

27º 56' 40" N
82º 51' 17" W

I thought it might be rubble, but it's in such a perfect line that it looks like three different solid objects. But then I realized how BIG it all was and couldn't figure it out.

It's really cool that you can see it under water on GE. What the heck is it?

 

huntster70

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #2

WOW that is neat..... It's 500' from North to South and about 240' West to East and about .9 Miles from the beach. It's off the Beach just south of the Inlet from Clearwater. It's hard to tell what it is but it looks like it could be rubble from a bridge or something like that that.

I'd be interested to hear from Tampa locals if this is a good site to hit......

 

OP

BelchFire

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #3

It has occurred to me that they just took down the old drawbridge at Largo. I suppose it could be large sections of that bridge, but how did they place them so accurately? And it's only 19 feet deep where that stuff is. Isn't that kind of shallow for something that large?

 

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BelchFire

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #4

Nevermind; that's not it. The old bridge at Largo is still visible on GE.

However it could be the old bridge over the Clearwater pass. The old bridge is gone and the new one in place on GE. I'll bet that's what it is.

 

ScubaBrett22

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #5

My Google earth must be messed up the Lat and Long is messed up

Long 82º 51' 17"W Lat 27º 56' 40"N

Is that correct because it brings me to The cost of California.

 

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BelchFire

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #6

You've got the numbers right, but you've listed them in reverse. The Latitude is usually listed first; you're not entering them reversed are you?

 

SkimFisher

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #7

take the degrees symbol out and enter as such:

27 56' 40"N, 82 51' 17"W

 

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BelchFire

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #8

Or as decimal degrees with no degree symbols or direction letters. (GE will do the math for you):

27.94444
-82.85472

So what is it; SkimFisher; you're local?

 

SkimFisher

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #9

The north and west designation is all GE needs. Order doesn't matter. Try it.

I have a list of reefs in the area but this site won't let me post the URL for some reason.

I live in the area but honestly don't know what it is. That is off of Belair/Indian Rocks Beach. It looks to me like a barge but I can't find any numbers that match on the list. There used to be an old fishing pier on IRB years and years ago that was destroyed by a hurricane - could be that too. My vote goes to old barges though.

 

SkimFisher

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• Aug 28, 2009

• #10

Here's the list: Florida Gulf Coast Artificial Reefs

Whatever it is, it's not that far off shore. I'm going to have to do some exploring.