Snorkeling the Half Moon Shipwreck

The Half Moon Shipwreck is one of Miami’s most accessible underwater history sites—an iconic, shallow wreck resting just outside Bear Cut, between Virginia Key and Key Biscayne. Because it sits in roughly 8–12 feet of water, it’s a favorite for snorkelers and newer divers who want a rewarding “wreck dive” feel without deep water.

Beyond the snorkeling, the site is a Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve and a listed historic place—so it’s a true look-but-don’t-touch destination. With the right tide timing and smart boat handling around this busy cut, you can enjoy clear-water peeks at a wreck now coated in soft corals, sponges, and juvenile reef fish.

Sitting on a shoal just outside Bear Cut, the Half Moon wreck is shallow enough that parts may be close to the surface at low tide—making it both an easy snorkel target and a charted navigation hazard. The hull is commonly described as lying on its port side and still largely intact, creating structure that collects marine growth (sponges and soft corals) and attracts schools of small reef fish.

The wreck’s backstory adds to the experience: originally built in 1908 in Germany as a racing yacht, it later became part of Miami’s Prohibition-era scene as a floating restaurant/dance hall before sinking in a 1930 storm. Today it’s protected—take only photos, leave everything as you found it, and avoid contact with the wreck and surrounding bottom.