NBM Dive Site Resource
Florida (Lake Huron)
Offshore Lake Huron, Michigan, United States
TECHNICAL DIVE ONLY — Florida is a Lake Huron shipwreck documented by NOAA at 206 ft / 63 m. This depth exceeds recreational limits and requires appropriate technical and decompression training.
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Aquatic life at this dive site
What divers may encounter
Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Site media
Photographs
Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Contributor media
Dive videos
Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.Published reference location
Location map
The marker shows the public coordinates associated with this profile. Confirm current access, moorings, and departure details before the dive.Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Recent field observations
Diver-reported temperatures
Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.
Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.
Why divers know this place
Highlights
NOAA-documented Great Lakes wreck: Motor: package freighter; 270 feet.
Shipwreck-only module
The wreck
This section appears only on shipwreck records and brings the vessel, its loss, present condition, access, and responsible wreck-diving considerations into one place.
- Vessel type
- Motor: package freighter
- Vessel length
- 270 feet
History and significance
The steamer Florida , a large package freighter, carried anything shipped in boxes, barrels, or bags, in addition to regular bulk cargo, such as corn and coal. Though powered by a large steam engine, Florida was built at a time when steamships still carried sails and was fully rigged with three masts. On May 20, 1897, while traveling in a dense fog off Presque Isle, Florida collided with George Roby. The impact cut Florida nearly in half. The steamer sank so quickly that its stern was crushed when it hit the bottom. Air trapped in the bow blew the pilot house clear off the ship, and debris floated on the lake’s surface for days. Fortunately, George Roby rescued Florida’s entire crew. Sitting in 206 feet of water and almost completely intact, Florida is an incredible dive site. The impacts of the collision and sinking are visible, and the obliterated stern allows divers to explore a cross-section of the wreck. All three masts still lie along the sunken freighter’s deck.
Before you arrive
Access notes
Technical dive only. Confirm current conditions, mooring status, gas plan, decompression plan and operator requirements before departure. NOAA coordinates are reference points, not navigation instructions.
Plan within your training
Conditions and hazards
Depth beyond recreational limits, decompression obligations, cold water, limited light, changing visibility, entanglement and possible wreck overheads. Penetration requires separate wreck-penetration training and planning.
Independent resource notice
This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.