2025 National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week

NCSHPO

The National Conference of
State Historic Preservation Officers

Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail

Doug Ward Avatar

Doug Ward

—

1 minute

Florida’s SHPO launched the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail in June of 2012. Following the 2010 BP oil spill, the Panhandle Shipwreck Trail was developed by the Florida Department of State’s Underwater Archaeology team, in partnership with Panhandle waterfront communities, in an effort to stimulate tourism and educate residents and visitors about Florida’s history. This series of 12 unique and historic shipwrecks are located in the Florida Panhandle, offshore of Pensacola, Destin, Panama City and Port St. Joe. All of the wrecks are protected by law and many were sunk as artificial reefs.

The Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail promotes underwater cultural heritage tourism and stewardship. It focuses on responsible diving and local stewardship to ensure that these resources are sustainable so that citizens and visitors can continue to enjoy them for years to come. The 12 shipwrecks were chosen by a consensus of local dive operators, based on popular demand, historical context and ecological diversity.

The website, www.floridapanhandledivetrail.com, provides divers with all the information needed to plan a trip. Divers purchase an official Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail Passport for $5 at over 20 participating dive shops and dive charter operators along the coast. The website gives details about the sites, including photos and exciting video, with links to current weather conditions and much more. For a list of participating partners, visit the website or find us on Facebook, and remember to, “…take only pictures and leave only bubbles!”

Follow us on Facebook for more news

Follow Us

Previous News

  • Education: Students in Preservation-Related Fields

    One of the objectives of the SC state preservation plan is to “enhance education of students in preservation-related fields”, by increasing communication and collaboration with educational institutions, and providing field experiences for students while assisting communities. Focusing on this objective has been beneficial to the SHPO and to the preparation of new professionals. SC believes it is […]

  • Cherokee Trail of Tears Properties Added to National Register of Historic Places

    Properties associated with the Native Americans who occupied present-day Oklahoma from earliest times or who were moved to Indian Territory in the nineteenth century are among Oklahoma’s most important historic resources. Of Oklahoma’s twenty-two National Historic Landmarks (NHL), thirteen of them are associated with these groups. Among the twelve Oklahoma NHL’s designated before passage of […]

  • National Register Nomination: Ernest Hemingway House, Ketchum, Idaho

    Whether it is a new National Register nomination, the preservation of a historic building, an important archaeological discovery, or a consultation to prevent the destruction of the places you care about, here are a series of “SHPO Spotlight” stories: This year Idaho SHPO staff are preparing a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places […]

  • The Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory

    In the mid-1970s, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources began awarding matching subgrants using funds from the National Park Service (NPS) for the identification of historic buildings and structures. The Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory (IHSSI) program officially began in 1976 with the first two counties being systematically surveyed to identify and document every […]