Anna Marie Island - The Regina

[Boats]

Hey folks!

While I was down in Florida, I took a run to Anna Marie Island to see if I could dive the Spanish Rocks. Unfortunetly, the storms from the previous few days had murked it up and kicked up the surf.

So, I discovered Sea Trek Divers while I was cruising around playing tourist. By the door in the shop, I found a brochure on the Regina. The Regina is a wreck, 75 yards off the shore of Bradenton Beach, in 12-20 feet of water. She was a 247-foot long steel tanker-barge which sank on the sandy flat in 1940.

My question, has anyone dove this wreck? The lady at the dive shop was friendly, but didn't have much info for me. She thought because of the storms, maybe more of the wreck would be exposed. Or, maybe shifted on the sand bar. She did say, one of the divemaster at the shop offered boat runs to the site on the weekends.

I thought it looked interesting, but while I was down in Clearwater I had never heard of the wreck.

Thanks for any feedback!

Boats

(I thought the next time I was down in Florida, I might try to dive the Spanish Rocks, as well as the Regina on the same trip)

 

[I Dive]

I haven't dived it, but if it is what I am thinking of, the word is that it's pretty much a waste of compressed air at this point, may even be a waste of a snorkel and normal air...

 

[Boats]

Yikes!

On the flyer I have, it shows a small portion of the bow, a portion of the stern, and the boiler exposed along with part of the collapsed hull.

The brochure is a interesting read, for sure. I can't locate a "printed on" date though . . .

 

[TMet]

I have tried to find it a few times with no luck. I'll keep trying till I do.

 

[Boats]

Hey TMET!

This may help!

Latitude 27 degrees 28.135' N and Longitude 82 degrees 42.129' W.

If you have a GPS, I believe you can convert this over into spot to get on the wreck!

Let me know if you score on a dive! Thanks!

Boats

 

[K Mejean]

I have done it. It is a waiste of good breathing gas. There is only a small piece of it left and it is in about 11' of water. I think you can probably circle the entire thing and check out what life is on it by holding your breath from the surface a couple of times. By the way..... if the viz at the Spanish Rocks is shot it will be at the Regina as well. They are only about a mile or two apart.

 

[Sh@rkW@tcher]

I have dove the Regina a couple of times over the last three years. The quality of the dive and amount of the wreck exposed varies with time of year and from year to year. I have found the boiler and other sections on one occasion, and only the part of the boiler on others. In general it's not much to see and a crap shoot at best.......dive spanish rocks instead.

 

[Boats]

Thanks for the feedback folks! That's a shame about the wreck being such a hit and miss thing. I was jazzed!

I'll stick with Spanish Rocks on my next trip!

Boats

 

[Kim22]

You can almost snorkel the Regina. But it's a good place for a refresher dive or for students/new divers. But it's a pretty boring swim out because there is absolutely nothing to look at but sand...

 

[Walter]

She did say, one of the divemaster at the shop offered boat runs to the site on the weekends.

You can get to the wreck before you can get a boat in the water.

I've dived it several times. I find it quite interesting. It's often called the Sugar Barge.

I have tried to find it a few times with no luck. I'll keep trying till I do.

How are you trying to locate it? If you're swimming out on the surface and then dropping down, chances are you've swam over it before dropping down. This wreck is very close to shore. Wade out, take a bearing and swim out on the bottom. You'll find it pretty quickly.