Thunderbolt Wreck
History, Fishing, and Diving Info

The Thunderbolt wreck is one of the most popular fishing and diving spots in the Middle Keys. It was sent to the bottom in 1986 and sits upright in 120 feet about 4 miles offshore of Marathon Florida in the fabulous Florida Keys.

The Thunderbolt was deliberately sunk as an artificial reef to encourage use by divers and fishermen. The plan was and is to relieve some stress from use on the natural reefs of the Florida Keys. As a side benefit, it has contributed to the tourist economy in Marathon as numerous divers come to visit this iconic wreck.

History of the Thunderbolt

The Thunderbolt was originally a naval mine-laying vessel, built during World War II. The original name of the ship was the USAMP Major General Wallace F. Randolph. After that, it served various roles as an oil exploration vessel and a scientific station for research into the behaviour and nature of lightning—which was when the ship was re-christened to its current name. After it was decommissioned the ship was donated to the Artificial Reef Association in Florida Keys, whose mission is to create artificial habitat for local fish species. The 189-foot ship was sunk on the 6th of March 1986.

Diving to the Thunderbolt

The Thunderbolt wreck lies on the seabed at a depth of around 120 feet. The ship remains largely intact and after being down for 25 years is covered in coral growth. This makes it a great dive spot for those keen on mechanics and engineering as well as marine life. There are a variety of large and small species of fish that can be seen on the wreck, such as snapper, mackerel and barracuda. Along with the fish life you will see, you can also expect to come across fire coral, flaming scallops, brain corals and sea whips.

Experienced divers agree current and visibility conditions can change very quickly here and cause disorientation for those not well prepared. On the upside, the variety of life that can be seen in and around the wreck is also highly variable, meaning repeat dives are equally interesting and challenging. Obviously, diving a wreck in this depth should only be undertaken by experienced divers and with the proper safety provisions.

There are numerous dive companies in the Florida Keys that include the Thunderbolt as a part of their offerings for dive tours. Consult a local dive shop for advice, charts and information on the weather and currents if you intend to dive the wreck from your own vessel.

There is a buoy secured at each end of the ship, however they are located about 15 feet below the surface so you’ll need to send a diver down to attach an anchor line if you wish to secure your boat to the wreck.

Fishing the Thunderbolt

There are many steel wrecks like this one that sit just off the edge of the main reefline in the Florida Keys. Whenever a wreck is sunk purposefully they are placed on sandy bottom that has not coral growth nearby. This makes the ship and its eventual coral growth and oasis for fish of all kinds. The Thunderbolt is a mature wreck with lots of coral and tons of fish. Your best bet for fishing it is to drift it or anchor up current. You can expect to catch a wide variety of fish here that includes snapper, grouper, amberjack, and barracuda.