Florida Keys Underwater Cemetery

The neptune memorial reef also known as the atlantis memorial reef or the atlantis reef is an underwater mausoleum for cremated remains and the world s largest man made reef covering over 600 000 square feet 56 000 m of ocean floor.
Florida keys underwater cemetery. Located about 3 25 miles off the coast of key biscayne in florida you will find neptune memorial reef which is truly an underwater world like no other. Situated about 45 feet beneath the ocean s surface the cemetery with gates pathways plaques and even benches is not only a great final resting spot for those who loved the sea but also the world s largest man made reef covering over. Florida key underwater. If you would like to learn how dive safely you can always take the course which is given by any of the dive shops in key west.
Although the cemetery is all on its own it wasn t always the case as once a schoolhouse and methodist church once bordered the cemetery. The neptune memorial reef is not your average cemetery but the first of it s kind underwater cemetery. Keith swirsky and marianne lachance swirsky look at a video of the mausoleum at the neptune memorial reef event to announce the enlargement of the underwater mausoleum three miles off key biscayne. However both were destroyed in the hurricane of 1935 which tore through the florida keys and caused so much devastation and loss of life as memorialized by the nearby hurricane monument.
Creators hope to make tourist hotspot expand underwater cemetery in which ashes of the deceased are mixed with concrete and turned into sculptures in neptune memorial reef. An underwater tribute that creates life after life. The place was chosen at 3 25 miles either 6 0 km or 5 2 km off the coast of key biscayne florida. The place was chosen at 3 25 miles 5 2 km off the coast of key biscayne florida.
Also i don t know anyone in the keys that rents underwater scooters. It is a type of burial at sea and the first phase is estimated to be able to accommodate 850 remains 3 with an eventual goal of more than 125 000 remains. This underwater cemetery lies just off florida s key biscayne. Key west is a good place to learn because it has shallow reefs with little current so you can enjoy your first couple of dives safely.
This underwater cemetery is a unique spot that you could make your final resting place one day. It s a beautiful way to memorialize a loved one in such a peaceful and serene setting.