San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park facts for kids
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San Pedro (shipwreck)
San Pedro State Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park |
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Monroe County, Florida, USA |
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| Nearest city | Islamorada, Florida |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000530 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 1, 1989 |
The San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park is a special Florida State Park located under the ocean! It's about 1.25 nautical miles (2.32 km) south of Indian Key. This park opened in 1989 and was the second Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve.
The main attraction of the park is the San Pedro. This is a real shipwreck from a Spanish fleet that sank in 1733. Visitors can dive and snorkel around the wreck. The San Pedro was a 287-ton ship built in the Netherlands. It was one of 22 Spanish ships that left Havana, Cuba, on July 13, 1733. They were heading to Spain. The San Pedro was carrying 16,000 silver coins from Mexico and boxes of Chinese porcelain.
A big hurricane hit the fleet as they were sailing through the Straits of Florida. Most of the ships either sank or were badly damaged. At the San Pedro wreck site today, you can see an old 18th-century anchor. There are also replica cannons and ballast stones covered in coral. The wreck was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 31, 2001.
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The Great 1733 Spanish Fleet Disaster
The 1733 Spanish Fleet was a large group of ships. They were almost all lost in a hurricane off the coast of Florida. This happened on July 15, 1733. Luckily, this hurricane was not as strong as some others. Also, the wrecks were in shallow water in the Florida Keys. This meant many people survived the storm. Four of the ships were even in good enough shape to be fixed and sent back to Havana.
The Spanish quickly started a big effort to save things from the sunken ships. They managed to recover more than 12 million silver coins and other valuable cargo. This was even more than what was officially listed on the ships' manifests! This was because ships often carried extra, unlisted goods.
Where the Ships Sank
The shipwrecks from the 1733 fleet are spread out over 80 miles (130 km). You can find them from north of Key Largo down to south of Duck Key. Some of the famous ships in this fleet included:
- El Pópulo
- El Infante
- San José
- El Rubí (This was the capitana, or the lead ship of the fleet!)
- Chávez
- Herrera
- Tres Puentes
- San Pedro (Our park's ship!)
- El Terri (also spelled Lerri or Herri)
- San Francisco
- El Gallo Indiano (This was the almiranta, or the ship at the back of the fleet.)
- Las Angustias
- El Sueco de Arizón
- San Fernando
- San Ignacio
The San Ignacio is thought to be the source of many silver and even some gold coins. These coins were found in an area off Deer Key called "Coffins Patch." This is the farthest southwest of all the 1733-Fleet wrecks. Many other smaller ships also traveled with the main fleet. Their wrecks are also known.
Finding the Wrecks Today
The first and most famous wreck from the 1733 Fleet found in modern times was the capitana, El Rubí. It was discovered in 1948. A man named Art McKee salvaged many items from it in the 1950s. He even had a museum on Plantation Key to show off his finds.
For many years, finding these wrecks was a bit chaotic. There were many arguments and conflicts over who could salvage what. To help protect these important historical sites, the government created the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in 1990. Today, it is against the law to remove any artifacts from these sites.
Because the Spanish did such a good job of salvaging items in the 1730s, modern divers haven't found as much treasure. Especially gold coins are rare. Many fake gold coins are on the market, so it's hard to find real ones from this fleet. However, the 1733 Fleet has been a good source for some rare Mexican silver coins from 1732-1733.
Fun Things to Do at the Park
There are many exciting activities you can enjoy at the San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park:
- Boating
- Canoeing
- Snorkeling
- Scuba diving
- Fishing
- Swimming
Park Hours
Florida state parks are open every day of the year. This includes holidays. You can visit between 8 a.m. and sundown.
