United Caribbean and Reef or Wreck

Dive Sites are subject to current and weather conditions. The captain has final say on Dive locations. The United Caribbean is a 147-foot steel cargo ship resting upright in the sand, with its bow pointing southeast. It’s one of three wrecks in the “Wreck Triangle” alongside the Sea Emperor and another nearby site, offering divers the chance to explore multiple structures in a single trip. Limerock boulders placed off the stern guide divers toward the Sea Emperor just 250 feet away. The proximity of these wrecks and a nearby reef has attracted abundant marine life, with many of the same species seen across the triangle. After Hurricane Wilma, the wreck shifted slightly, adding to its dynamic underwater character. Originally built in 1969 and named the Golden Venture, the ship carries a somber history. In 1993, it ran aground off Rockaway Beach, New York, while smuggling 286 Chinese immigrants—ten of whom tragically drowned attempting to reach shore. Following its seizure, the vessel was renamed the United Caribbean and later repurposed as part of the Palm Beach Artificial Reef Program. It was intentionally sunk on August 22, 2000, and now serves as both an artificial reef and a dive site rich with marine life and powerful history.