Although a beautiful dive during the day, the wreck of the freighter Benwood comes alive at night in a sort of circus show of underwater creatures.
Schooling fish, sharks, eels, crustaceans and turtles rest here at night. Parrot fish sleep in a mucus bubble they create to protect against parasites. Lobsters and crabs shuffle along the rusting surface of the wreck. Small shrimp make snapping noises to deter predators.
“Lucky divers might even get to see an octopus,” says Tess Stundis, with the Amoray Dive Center in Key Largo.
The wreck of the Benwood is popular with divers because it is still relatively intact despite years of abuse by the sea and countless hurricanes.
Amoray has offered seasonal night dives to the Benwood for nearly 30 years.
Ship Down
In the early morning of April 9, 1942, the Norwegian freighter Benwood was traveling from Tampa to Norfolk, Virginia, with a crew of 38 and a load of ore and other supplies for the U.S. military. Because German submarines were known to be in U.S. coastal waters, the Benwood was armed with bombs, depth charges and rifles.
With the threat of attack by the Germans, the Norwegian captain, was forced to navigate the shallow waters off the Keys without light.
Unfortunately, also blacked out and in the same area was the American steam tanker Robert C. Tuttle, heading to Atreco, Texas, after dropping off a load of oil. With little warning, the Benwood’s bow struck the Tuttle’s port side, causing severe damage to the Benwood. The ship’s captain and crew abandoned ship 30 minutes after impact.
Although the Tuttle did not sustain severe damage in the collision, it later sank after striking a German minefield near Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Benwood came to rest at depths between 25 and 50 feet a short distance from Molasses Reef.
In the 82 years since its demise, the Benwood has become one of the Keys’ most-loved dive sites. Every spring and summer, at least two Key Largo dive shops offer night dives to the wreck. There, divers discover the ship, with the help of the sea’s artistry, has transformed itself into an artificial reef encrusted in brightly colored corals, sea fans and sponges in a palette of yellows, oranges, greens, purples and blues.
The night dive offers about an hour of underwater exploration. Divers can jump into the warm Atlantic waters shortly after sunset to explore the wreck with a dive buddy or a paid guide.
Although the Keys have several famous artificial reefs—intentionally sunk ships like the Duane, Eagle, Spiegel Grove and Thunderbolt—in deeper waters, the Benwood offers one of the best night dives in the country.
“Our night dive is dependent on current sunset times,” Tess says. “We try to arrive at the Benwood 20 minutes prior to sunset, so that those divers who wish to stay onboard to view the sunset in its entirety prior to their dive can do so. Other divers—who want to dive early and get their bearings with daylight left—can start their dive early and have around an hour or more of bottom time with the final 40 minutes in complete darkness.”
Showstoppers
Turtles are clearly the stars of this under-water show. On any given night, it is not uncommon to spot five or more turtles sleeping on the skeleton of the Benwood. Unphased by divers and flashlights, green sea turtles can sleep underwater for several hours before surfacing. They wedge their heads and bodies along the crevices of the wreck to protect from predators.
Jennifer Wheeler, an artist and divemaster living in Key Largo, was mesmerized the first time she explored the Benwood last summer. Having done night dives in Monterey Bay, California, and Indonesia, she is convinced the Benwood is magical at night.
“Entering the water and seeing the wreck for the first time is like something out of a mystery book or movie. The spirit of the ship seems to come alive at night, and there is a sort of reverence that is called for in the dark,” Jennifer says.
She says of her last night dive on the wreck, “I just floated there, face-to-face with a snoozing turtle, for what seemed like forever. My heart was so happy, so full, and I hope everyone gets to experience that at least some time in their lives.”
Because this dive can reach depths of a little more than 50 feet, a safety stop at 15 to 20 feet is recommended for a few minutes of decompression. Even at that depth, the experience unfolds in front of your mask. In the summer, the warm water is full of bioluminescent creatures that light up the ocean water like sparks of pixie dust. Divers often shut off their dive lights to see the show. Tess says the safety stops are one of her favorite aspects of the dive.
“The bioluminescence is breathtaking, along with the illuminated comb jellies that light up the sea,” she says.
The infinite light created by the bioluminescent creatures is humbling to divers like Jennifer.
“The specks of light in the unending darkness makes one feel small in a good way, like you’re part of something bigger, beautiful and endless,” she says.