Northwest Florida is a paradise for scuba divers, offering a wide range of underwater attractions from deep-sea caves to artificial reefs. Destin and Fort Walton Beach are particularly popular for their coastal dive sites, with the Pickens piers being one of the most sought-after spots. This aquatic reserve is home to a variety of marine life, including grouper, snapper, flounder, swordfish, guitarfish, sheep, red drum, stargazer, porcupine pufferfish and stingrays. The rocks also serve as a breeding habitat for many species of tropical fish. The Park West reef is another great spot for divers in the area.
It consists of concrete reef balls of various sizes, commemorative reefs and other concrete structures that attract a wide range of small tropical marine species in the warmer months. The site is easy to locate due to the large pylons that mark its corners and it has an average depth of 8 to 14 feet. Visibility is usually between 5 and 10 feet but can reach up to 20 feet on a good day. The calm waters between Nororgasm Point and the Destin piers are also a great place to dive in Northwest Florida. Panama City Beach is another popular destination for water sports enthusiasts, golfers, hikers and divers alike.
It is home to the Casino Beach Reef, which is Escambia County's newest dive site. Other attractions include natural limestone reefs, shipwrecks and other artificial reefs that attract the greatest diversity of marine life in all of Florida. South Walton also offers an underwater sculpture garden at the Grayton Beach Museum of Underwater Art. Hundreds of artificial reef sites include barges, tanks and tugboats such as Miss Louise in Destin, which is part of the Florida Panhandle wreck trail. With so many amazing dive sites to explore in Northwest Florida, it's no wonder why it's such a popular destination for scuba divers.
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