Florida Keys Dive Trip Giveaway to Commemorate ‘Sink Anniversary’ of Spiegel Grove

FLORIDA KEYS — On May 17, 2002, a retired 510-foot Navy Landing Ship Dock named Spiegel Grove was sunk off Key Largo to become the backbone of a new ecosystem 6 miles offshore, providing sanctuary to hundreds of aquatic species. 

A “Spiegel Grove 20th Anniversary Dive Trip Giveaway” social media contest is being staged to help commemorate the massive ship’s sinking.

The two-week contest, set to launch May 17, is geared largely to scuba divers, with the winner and a guest to receive a trip to Key Largo to dive the famous wreck — the world’s third-largest ship ever intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef, and one of nine iconic wreck-diving sites along the Florida Keys Wreck Trek.

Valued at over $2,500, the prize includes three nights’ accommodations and a two-tank dive package at Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo; admission to the History of Diving Museum, showcasing 3,000 square feet of interactive exhibits; and dinner for two at Key Largo’s The Fish House Restaurant & Seafood Market, featuring the specially crafted Spiegel Grove martini. Vouchers for air travel and car rental also are included.

The contest entry page link is to be published in posts on the Florida Keys’ Facebook page and as a link below the bio (@thefloridakeys) on Instagram and Twitter. 

The trip giveaway entry period begins at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday, May 17, and continues through 11:59 p.m. EDT Tuesday, May 31. Rules and terms are to be available on the contest page.

Just one entry per person is valid, with the winner to be randomly selected from all eligible submissions. Entrants must be legal U.S. residents and age 21 or older. Contest results are to be announced by June 8. 

The story of Spiegel Grove’s journey from the surface to the sandy bottom 130 feet below is as compelling as the ship’s size. Read more here.