Biscayne National Park ⓘ

Biscayne's human history begins over 10,000 years ago with the migration of Paleo-Indians down the Florida peninsula. Physical evidence such as the campsite at the Old Cutler fossil site are well documented along the bay shoreline. When sea levels were very low during the ice age, the Florida peninsula was probably twice as wide as it is today, with most of that additional landmass being on the state's west coast. The area of what is today Biscayne Bay was probably a broad, dry savannah. This large, open expanse likely served as a place for nomadic peoples to hunt for mammoths, mastodons and other animals of the period.

As the ice age ended and waters began to rise, the bay filled in. For several thousand years after the time of the Paleo-Indians (now referred to as the Archaic Period), there is little physical evidence of native peoples in the Biscayne area, but that may be because evidence of these sites is now submerged. Many archaeologists believe there is much to learn about the area's earliest native peoples at the bottom of Biscayne Bay.

2500 years ago, the people in this area (now referred to as the Glades culture) had become less nomadic and more settled. Piles of discarded conch and whelk shells began to grow, and these shell middens offer archaeologists opportunities to learn about these people.

As populations grew and settlements split from one another, smaller, more distinct cultures developed. They created pottery and established trade networks. The people from this time period in southeast Florida are today known as the Tequesta.

Unlike many of the groups of people in other parts of the United States, and even in other parts of Florida, who began to rely heavily on corn and other crops, the Tequesta took advantage of the bounty of the sea. Having to spend less time working crops meant that there was more time for things like art and religion, and complex social structures developed. At the mouth of the Miami River, a village developed, and nearby a still-not-well-understood feature now called the Miami Circle was constructed.

The arrival of European explorers to the area in the 16th century was the beginning of the end for Florida's native peoples. Diseases like smallpox and measles swept through native populations in epidemic proportions. By the mid-1700s, virtually all of the area's indigenous people had been wiped out.

Around this time, Creeks from neighboring Georgia and Alabama began to expand into what is today Florida, eventually giving rise to tribes like the Seminole and Miccosukee.

Much of southeast Florida's native human heritage is now beneath the roads and buildings of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities. Large protected natural areas like Biscayne National Park may be the last, best chance for gaining a fuller understanding of the area's prehistory.

Biscayne National Park's Maritime Heritage Trail offers an exciting opportunity to explore the remains of some of the park's many shipwrecks. Six wrecks, spanning nearly a century and a wide variety of sizes and vessel types, have been mapped, brochures have been produced and mooring buoys have been installed. The newest addition to the trail is the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse. Snorkeling is great around the base of the light, but the structure itself is not open to the public.

Access to the sites on the trail is by boat only. Erl King , Alicia and Lugano are best suited to SCUBA divers, while the other sites can easily be enjoyed while snorkeling. Mandalay in particular offers an unparalleled opportunity for snorkelers to experience a shipwreck in a beautiful natural setting. Learn more about the sites along the trail below. If you can't dive these wrecks right now, take a virtual tour on our Biscayne Maritime Heritage Trail Story Map right now. Here, you'll see beautifully rendered 3D scans of each wreck, and learn more about their captivating history.

In the 1870s, Cape Florida Lighthouse was considered inadequate because of its distance from the reef line. When Arratoon Apcar ran aground, it did so just a few hundred yards from where workers were busy building the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse.

Fowey Rocks Lighthouse - Built 1878 - the newest addition to the Maritime Heritage Trail is also a departure from the shipwreck theme. The lighthouse witnessed decades of storms and wrecks, and is known as the "Eye of Miami."

Erl King reflects the early period of transition from wooden sailing vessels to steel steamships.

Alicia was laden with silks, silverware, and other fine household items when it ran aground. The ensuing battles among the 70 different groups of wreckers led to a permanent rewriting of U.S. salvage laws.

At the time of its grounding, Lugano had been the largest vessel ever to wreck in the Florida Keys.

The steel-hulled schooner Mandalay was known as the “red carpet ship of the windjammer fleet” and was outfitted with a teak and mahogany deck.

The Florida Keys is one of the most famous and most visited archipelagos in the world. Contrary to what many may think, the Florida Keys do not begin at Key Largo. To the north lie nearly 50 more keys (ancient coral reef islands) that are virtually undeveloped. The fight to protect these last unspoiled keys culminated over 30 years ago with the creation of Biscayne National Monument.

During the early 1950s, an era of newfound prosperity, Americans were taking more vacations and moving to Florida. The keys were a popular destination and property values soared. Many people looked at the northernmost keys, the ones bypassed by Henry Flagler's railroad and within the present day boundaries of the park, and saw them languishing in placid waters. They envisioned hotels, roads and other developments. Several years later came a plan to dredge up 8,000 acres of bay bottom to create a jetport. In 1961, 13 area landowners voted unanimously to create the City of Islandia. Plans for Seadade, a major industrial seaport, were announced in 1962. The proposal called for the dredging of a 40-foot deep channel through the Bay's clear, shallow waters. Dade County's "new frontier" was born, but it never grew beyond the toddler stage.

An initially small, but vocal, group of people had an entirely different vision for these islands; a national park unlike any other. The park would be covered by water, protecting not only the islands but the bay to the west and the reef to the east. It would provide a haven for wildlife and a respite for people tired of cramped city life. The park's proponents were not extraordinary in the usual sense of the word. They were doctors and pilots, farmers and writers. They were people who knew the area — people who understood new concepts like ecology and environmental preservation.

The Hatfields and McCoys had nothing on the two feuding groups. Words were exchanged, tempers flared and fights broke out. Lloyd Miller, president of the local Izaak Walton League, said that the opposition poisoned his dog and tried to get him fired from his job because of his support for the park idea. Slowly though, support began to build. Juanita Greene's inspiring newspaper stories in the Miami Herald helped accelerate the pace. Hardy Matheson based his entire campaign for county commissioner on the issue of establishing the park. Vacuum cleaner magnate Herbert W. Hoover, Jr., who spent considerable time in the area as a boy, brought legislators down from Washington for dramatic blimp rides over the proposed park, convinced that anyone who saw the place would be just as smitten with it as he was. By early 1968, local and national support for a Biscayne National Monument was at an all-time high.

Facing a ground swell of public support for the park idea, landowners in the city of Islandia brought in bulldozers in an attempt to spoil the area. Dubbed "spite highway," the swath was six lanes wide and seven miles long, right down the middle of Elliott Key. Park proponents were not deterred. Congress, led by longtime Representative Dante Fascell, created Biscayne National Monument to protect "a rare combination of terrestrial, marine and amphibious life in a tropical setting of great natural beauty." President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill on October 18, 1968.

That was nearly 50 years ago. Since then, a lot has changed. Greater Miami has become a Latin American capital, with 4 million residents and 10 million annual visitors from all over the world. The park has undergone several enlargements and a name change. Spite highway has grown in to an intimate tunnel through a tropical hardwood forest, and serves as the park's one and only hiking trail.

While the struggle to protect the park from current local threats continues, some things have not changed. The northern keys are still untethered by roads and bridges. The shallow water is still clear and beautiful. It is still a haven for wildlife and a respite for weary urban dwellers.

Arratoon Apcar was built by James Henderson and Son of Renfrew, Scotland in 1861. This iron-hulled steamer measured 262 feet long, had a 35 foot beam, displaced 1480 tons, and was powered by a 250 horsepower engine.

The ship was named after the founder of her original owners (Apcar and Co.), an Armenian family who established a furniture business in Bombay, India. In 1872, the Apcar family acquired a much larger vessel, which they also christened "Arratoon Apcar", while the original ship was sold to H.F. Swan and registered in London.

The original Arratoon Apcar met its demise steaming to Havana on the evening of February 20, 1878 when Captain Pottinger miscalculated his position and ran aground at Fowey Rocks. Interestingly enough, lighthouse construction was well underway at that sight, and the steamship narrowly missed the platform where several workers were encamped. The crew attempted to de-water the ship for three days, after which point they manned their lifeboats and headed ashore. The nearby Tappahannock rescued the captain and all 24 of his crew. By March 12, foul winter weather had made the coal-laden ship a total loss.

Today, the wreck of Arratoon Apcar lies in ten to twenty feet of water near Fowey Rocks. The coral-encrusted lower hull and iron beams of the vessel can still be seen, along with some evidence of other structures, including remnants of the rudder and mast. The shallow depth of the wreck and the abundance of fish make it an attractive site for diving or snorkeling.

The Cape Florida light at the southern tip of Key Biscayne was built in 1825. Fifty years later, the light served little purpose and was extinguished. Ships did not need to be warned of the island, but rather of the knife-edged reef that lay 5 miles offshore. Iron-pile lighthouses further south in the Keys had been quite successful at marking the reef, so the Light House Board contracted to have one built at Fowey Rocks, southeast of Cape Florida.

Construction began in 1875 when a staging platform was built at the site. Materials were initially delivered to Soldier Key, then ferried out to the site as needed. Severe weather hampered the construction of the light for many months. Workers frequently stayed in tents on the staging platform in order to avoid wasted travel time. Twice during construction, workers became keenly aware of how important the light would be when ships headed straight for their camping platform suddenly ground to a halt on the nearby reef! Arratoon Apcar was one of these ships, and it too is now part of the Biscayne National Park Maritime Heritage Trail.

The most time-consuming part of the construction was building the foundation and lower decks. Due to the aforementioned weather delays, this part of the process took over a year. Once the base was constructed, the remainder of the structure went up fairly quickly, with parts having been pre-fabricated in Delaware. The keeper's dwelling itself is a two-story octagonal building in the Second Empire style. It was painted white with green shutters. Rising from the center of the house is a 50' tall enclosed spiral stairwell leading up to the service room, the watch room and the lantern room. The tower is capped with a copper roof and ventilator ball.

The original first-order Fresnel lens was built in Paris and shipped to the United States in 1876. That year, it formed the centerpiece of the Light House Board's display at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, before being transported to Florida for installation at Fowey Rocks. It was lit for the first time in the summer of 1878. A few years later, a larger exhibition by the Light House Board at the 1892 Chicago World's Fair also featured the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse in the form of a scale model and a watercolor painting. In her book Lighthouses of the Florida Keys , author Love Dean quotes the Light House Board as describing the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse as standing "in lonely grandeur with waves gently lapping at its base in the clear bright light of the subtropical day, with nothing in sight except a few vessels..."

That is lovely prose, but in reality Fowey Rocks Lighthouse is within sight of both the park's northern islands and Cape Florida. The original Fresnel lens is now on display at the U.S. Coast Guard's National Aids to Navigation Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia, and it has been replaced with a modern solar-powered light visible some 17 miles out to sea. Though now part of Biscayne National Park, the light itself is still maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard as the "Eye of Miami."

Erl King was a 306 foot iron-hulled three-masted steamer built by A. and J. Inglis Shipbuilders and Engineers of Glasgow, Scotland in 1865. This barkentine-rigged steamship had a 34 foot beam and displaced 2178 tons. The ship’s name is an English translation of the German Erlkonig , which was a mythical mischief-making elf in German literature. Erl King was primarily a cargo ship, but also had first-class accommodations for 50 passengers.

Robertson and Company of London were the first owners, but Erl King sailed for several other firms under charter, and was captained by John Pinel while trading between China and Australia for the first few years of service.

Erl King ran aground at Tennessee Reef on January 18, 1881, but was removed, repaired, and returned to service. On December 16, 1891, she ran aground on Long Reef while on the way to New Orleans from Swansea, England. The steamer Feliciana noted that she was “afloat with two anchors out,” apparently while the crew was attempting to conduct repairs. Insurers from Key West reported that cargo was being salvaged, but the ship itself was doomed. Some of her machinery, as well as 200 tons of cargo were saved. Hull plates were reportedly used as scrap metal during World War II.

The outline of Erl King’s hull and remains of its cargo can now be seen in 18 feet of water on Long Reef. All that remains of its cargo are barrel-shaped concrete objects that were once wooden barrels filled with dry concrete mix. The wooden barrels have long since been consumed by shipworms, leaving the concrete casts we can see today.

On New Years Day, 1966, the schooner Mandalay ran aground on Long Reef. The wreck now lies in the eastern part of Biscayne National Park and is one of the best shallow dive spots in the park.

John G. Alden Naval Architects, Inc. designed Mandalay , originally named Hardi Biou , for Dr. Henry D. Lloyd of Brookline, Massachusetts. The 110’ 6” long, steel hulled schooner was built by George Lawley & Son, Corporation in 1928, at a cost of $177,000. The schooner was sold in 1931 and renamed Valor , and subsequently had 5 other owners under that name. Michael Burke, owner of Windjammer Cruises, Inc., purchased, refitted, and renamed the vessel Mandalay in 1965, for use as a luxury cruise ship.

Mandalay was beautifully outfitted in mahogany, brass, and ivory, and had a teak deck. Aft quarters were a suite of 2 rooms with an adjoining bath for the owner, 3 single staterooms, each with a bath, and a large guest room with an individual bath. Forward of the main mast were a large saloon and living room, 3 officer’s staterooms with a bath, and ample forecastle for 6 men with a washroom and shower. All bathrooms had hot and cold water and all waste connected to a complete sanitary system. There were electrical lights and fans and other electrical equipment, and every stateroom had individual ventilation.

In late 1965, Mandalay was headed toward Miami with 23 vacationers and 12 crew, returning from a 10 day Bahaman cruise. Passengers had retired to their rooms after celebrating the arrival of the New Year, 1966, and Captain Asmund [Jim] Gjevick, a 26 year old Norwegian, went to sleep about 1:00 AM, leaving a novice seaman at the helm. All were awakened when Mandalay was driven hard aground on Long Reef. Later, Captain Gjevick admitted he had miscalculated the distance from Fowey Rocks, causing Mandalay to be 20 miles off course. At the request of Capt. Gjevick, an SOS was sent by A.E. Lundquist, President of the Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Boston at 3:45 AM, which brought Coast Guard helicopters and patrol boats to the scene. Flares were dropped by the helicopters, and fired by Mandalay crew to illuminate the rescue operation that took place in windy conditions with 10 foot waves. Three helicopters lifted 24 persons, one by one, and flew them to Homestead Air Force Base. The only injury was to L. Quinn Hal, an Indianapolis real estate man, who cut his hand.

Scavengers stripped the vessel, taking the ship’s compass, sextant, chronometers, passenger cameras, watches, and purses, and the owner’s personal gear. Tons of lead ballast blocks, taken by small outboard motorboats and melted into lead diving weights, were resold at $1.00 per pound. The ½ ton anchor and stud link chain were also taken. On the Sunday after Mandalay was grounded she was “picked to her skin and bones” by average work-a-day boat owners, before salvage tugs could arrive. The tugs failed to pull the ship off the reef, and so the masts were removed, by contract with the owners, for eventual use in the re-creation of a Spanish Galleon called Golden Doubloon . Today the skeleton of Mandalay , “red carpet ship of the Windjammer fleet”, can be found embedded on Long Reef in Biscayne National Park.

The British steamer, Lugano , from Liverpool, was headed for Havana with general cargo that included fine silks, wines, rice, and other foods valued at $1 million. She was also carrying 116 passengers, including 12 women and children. All of the passengers except 2 were Spanish immigrants en route to Cuba.

On March 9, 1913 in high winds and heavy seas and significantly off course, Captain P. Penwill grounded on Long Reef. The tug Rescue was radioed, and safely took the passengers of Lugano to Key West while the Captain and crew remained aboard. Cargo was removed, and the hold was intentionally flooded to prevent further pounding on the rocks. By March 20 th , seven large loads of cargo had been removed and taken to Key West. Wreckers were busily pumping water out of Lugano so that her boilers could be re-lit, allowing her own pumps to dewater the hull. By March 22 nd , their efforts succeeded, but even with the ship’s pumps working night and day, the ill-fated vessel was still lodged on the reef and listing heavily to port. On March 27 th , The Miami Herald reported there were over 75 wrecking boats attempting to save the cargo. The ensuing confusion and foul weather made it easy for unscrupulous salvors to slip away and stash cargo on nearby reefs. Much cargo was stolen by the Key West wreckers of Dr. Lykes , including linens and 350 cases of brandy. Rumors of the thefts prompted U.S. Customs to dispatch officials to monitor the wreck.

By April 4 th , the crew had abandoned Lugano , which was again full of water. The Lee Brothers, wreckers from Miami, were later contracted to deliver the ship to Key West for $17,000.00. The estimated value of the saved cargo was $150,000.00. Lugano was three stories deep below the water line and was the largest boat to ever go on the rocks of the Florida reefs up to that time.

All efforts to refloat Lugano were abandoned on April 15 th . Two days of high winds pounded the already battered vessel until it was considered a total loss. Wreckers removed nearly everything, leaving only the hull. A settlement on May 28, 1914, gave the primary salvors $64,126.67, the secondary salvors $14,084.30, and the remaining salvors $2,228.18. The schooner Dr. Lykes’ share was forfeited because of discrepancies between cargo collected and cargo delivered.

In February, 1917, the yacht Ada M struck Lugano , which was the first report of a ship hitting this wreck. A warning to mariners was issued on January 13, 1920 stating that the wreck of Lugano was a danger to navigation. The wreck was estimated to be 3000 tons and had a broken mast and stack visible under water.

This content was published online before January 20, 2025. Please note that this content is NOT UPDATED , and links may not work. For current information, visit https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/index.htm .

News Release Date: November 7, 2013 Contact: Charles Lawson , 786-335-3676 Contact: Matt Johnson , 786-335-3679

Updated 1/7/2022: For more information on the Jones Family District, contact Josh Marano at joshua_marano@nps.gov or Dani Cessna at dani_cessna@nps.gov The Jones Family Historic District located in Biscayne National Park and including the former home and farm of Israel Lafayette Jones and his family, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The listing, which occurred on October 23, 2013, puts the newly declared district on the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation.

For nearly a century the Jones family thrived on Porgy Key and other islands at the southern end of Biscayne National Park. What was originally a $300 land investment for Israel "Parson" Jones was resold for over a million dollars almost a hundred years after his family first settled there. The story is all the more astonishing considering African-Americans living in the south in the early 20th-century found it difficult just to make a living, much less become millionaires.

"The inspiring story of the Jones family is the impetus behind this historic district and partly why Biscayne National Park was featured in the 'America's Best Idea' series by Ken Burns," declared Park Superintendent Brian Carlstrom. "The designation of the historic district is a very significant accomplishment and great news for the park and its neighbors."

The Jones Family Historic District is comprised of resources contained within two separate keys, Porgy Key and Totten Key. Porgy Key was the site of both the family's home and agricultural enterprises. At Porgy Key, Israel Jones grew fruits and vegetables to support his family and pineapples and key limes as a business. Jones purchased Porgy Key in 1897. After a deadly storm forced many pineapple farmers to abandon their properties, Jones purchased Totten Key where he expanded his key lime production with the assistance of his sons. Motivated by the belief that the area should be preserved, descendants of Israel Jones including Lancelot and his sister-in-law Kathleen, sold their share of the island to the National Park Service in 1970. Made up of more than 277 acres, the National Park Service paid them $1.2 million. Lancelot fished with many notable people during the forties and fifties, including Herbert Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, Bebe Rebozo and Richard Nixon. He was often hired as the guide to many of their wealthy and influential friends who visited the area before it became a national park. Lancelot Jones was granted the right to live out his remaining years in the family home.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources .

For additional information about the park, visit www.nps.gov/bisc . For regular updates from the park "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/biscaynenps , or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/biscaynenps .

After a prosperous nine-year stint as a caretaker and foreman, Israel Jones decided he was interested in expanding his horizons. So in 1897, Jones purchased Porgy Key, on the southern edge of Caesar Creek, from Fletcher Albury for $300, approximately $5 an acre. This is particularly remarkable because of the racial atmosphere in Dade County between 1896 and 1926. While there was an increase in the presence of black institutions and possibility for upward mobility, economic and political exploitation, racial segregation and lynching constrained the efforts of black families working to improve their quality of life.

Along with his ventures into real estate, Israel Jones developed a reputation for being a preacher and a philosopher. He became known as the “Pahson”, which reflected the high esteem that many held him in. Although not a minister in the traditional sense, Parson Jones was deemed qualified by his peers to preach. He spoke on Sundays at Mt. Zion Baptist Church and is said to have been involved in its development. Founded in 1896 by the Reverend T.M. Tramell, it was organized and built by black Baptists. Like many other black churches established in Dade County at that time, it provided a spiritual home for blacks and was a source of mutual and charitable support.

In 1898, Israel Jones purchased Old Rhodes Key (Porgy Key is legally part of Old Rhodes) and moved his family to the island within two years of that date. When Jones and his family first arrived, there was already a two-bedroom house constructed on the property belonging to the previous owner. The second house, a two-story, four-bedroom structure, was completed by Israel Jones and his brother Samuel in 1912. In addition, Jones dug a trench in order to put in a dock for his boat. In the true spirit of homesteading, the Jones family made this place their own. Along with building a house, Israel Jones began the Herculean task of clearing the land by hand. This clearing involved cutting through gumbo-limbo, palmetto and mahogany trees, and thorny vines that could slice through the skin. Once Jones and his sons cut through the foliage, a landscape of coral limestone was revealed. For Jones, this was a boon because he knew that pineapples, tomatoes and limes would grow well here. He began farming pineapples and key limes and within two years of planting, the Jones family began to see profit. In addition, he produced fruits and vegetables in order to supplement his income. Eventually, the Jones farm became one of the largest producers of pineapples and limes on the East Coast of Florida.

Adding to his landholdings, Israel Jones purchased Totten Key from Frank T. Budge in 1911. This land had previously been home to an approximately 250-acre pineapple plantation. This purchase would prove to be quite an investment - he bought the island for $1 an acre and eventually sold 212 acres for $250,000.

Israel Jones, while busy with farm production, purchasing additional land and building a new home, still had time for community involvement. Along with providing ongoing support for Mt. Zion Baptist church in Miami, he participated in the creation of a Negro Industrial School in Jacksonville. While there were a number of industrial schools created around the turn of the century, one in particular stands out in existing documents in relation to Israel Jones. Originally known as the Florida Baptist Academy, this school was founded in Jacksonville in 1892. In 1918, the school moved to St. Augustine (where Lancelot and Arthur attended classes) and eventually merged with the Florida Baptist Institute to become the Florida Normal and Industrial Memorial Institute. In 1963, the school was renamed Florida Memorial College and relocated to Miami in 1968.

As his sons got older and were able to take over much of the labor needed to maintain the land, Israel Jones spent more time preaching in Miami and taking part as a trustee in the continuing growth of this Negro industrial school in Jacksonville. Back on the homestead, Mozelle oversaw the maintenance of the home, took care of their sons, and received visitors fairly regularly. In between bone fishing and taking care of their fruit trees, the boys received a formal education from a teacher who had been brought in from St. Augustine to live with the family. Eventually, much to the dismay of Lancelot and Arthur, the two boys were sent to St. Augustine to attend the Florida Industrial College (Florida Baptist Academy).

In 1929, Israel handed ownership of Totten Key over to his sons, Arthur and Lancelot. Soon after, Mozelle’s health failed and she passed away. A few years later, in 1932, Israel Lafayette Jones died at the age of 73. His funeral was held at Mt. Zion Baptist church and was well attended by black and white mourners alike. D.A. Dorsey, considered to be Miami’s first black millionaire, spoke of Jones’s achievements in the face of adversity. Reverend J.R. Evans echoed those sentiments in his sermon and Jones’s funeral received generous coverage in the Miami Herald.

A Tequesta child free-dives for conch from a dugout canoe, a Bahamian woman watches the sunset across a tidal creek, a wooden ship smashes against a knife-edged reef while the hurricane wind howls, and wealthy industrialists gather under a shady palm to toss horseshoes and make plans to increase their fortunes. The parade of human history in the park spans 10,000 years.

Though the park was established for its natural history, signs are everywhere of people and the many ways they lived on these lands and waters. Shell midens reveal evidence of habitation by native peoples . Underwater, dozens of shipwrecks rest as silent witnesses to violent moments in time, each holding the promise of teaching us about our collective past. The park's origin stor y is one of grassroots environmentalists earning public support while teaming with stalwart bay protectors like Lancelot Jones , to protect the bay, reef, and islands against incredible pressure to develop. It almost didn't work.

Dive in to discover Biscayne's people and places. Their stories are written on the land and water.

Biscayne National Park's Maritime Heritage Trail offers an exciting opportunity to explore the remains of some of the park's many shipwrecks. Six wrecks, spanning nearly a century and a wide variety of sizes and vessel types, have been mapped, brochures have been produced and mooring buoys have been installed. The newest addition to the trail is the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse. Snorkeling is great around the base of the light, but the structure itself is not open to the public. Access to the sites on the trail is by boat only. Erl King , Alicia and Lugano are best suited to SCUBA divers, while the other sites can easily be enjoyed while snorkeling. Mandalay in particular offers an unparalleled opportunity for snorkelers to experience a shipwreck in a beautiful natural setting. Learn more about the sites along the trail below.

Arratoon Apcar as she appears today. Arratoon Apcar - Sank 1878 In the 1870s, Cape Florida Lighthouse was considered inadequate because of its distance from the reef line. When Arratoon Apcar ran aground, it did so just a few hundred yards from where workers were busy building the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse.

The Fowey Rocks Lighthouse in was listed by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the eleven most endangered historic sites in Florida. Photo by Mike Beach Fowey Rocks Lighthouse - Built 1878 - the newest addition to the Maritime Heritage Trail is also a departure from the shipwreck theme. The lighthouse witnessed decades of storms and wrecks, and is known as the "Eye of Miami."

Erl King ran aground at Tennessee Reef on January 18, 1881. Erl King - Sank 1891 Erl King reflects the early period of transition from wooden sailing vessels to steel steamships.

Alicia was wrecked in a 1905 storm. Alicia - Sank 1905 Alicia was laden with silks, silverware, and other fine household items when it ran aground. The ensuing battles among the 70 different groups of wreckers led to a permanent rewriting of U.S. salvage laws.

Lugano now lies 25 feet underwater on Long Reef in Biscayne National Park. Lugano - Sank 1913 At the time of its grounding, Lugano had been the largest vessel ever to wreck in the Florida Keys.

The skeleton of Mandalay can be found embedded on Long Reef Mandalay - Sank 1966 The steel-hulled schooner Mandalay was known as the “red carpet ship of the windjammer fleet” and was outfitted with a teak and mahogany deck.

Ballast stones reveal the final resting place of an unknown vessel. 19th Century wooden sailing vessel