At present, California, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and Vermont have established similar programs. Other state governments are likely to follow this example of education through recreation in the near future. How to Visit There are currently six underwater preserves on historic sites throughout the state. You can click on a picture or a site name for more information. To protect the cultural and natural features of the parks, boats are required to tie up to mooring buoys, and spear fishing is not allowed on some preserves.
Some sites require additional safety equipment or precautions.
The wreck of the Half Moon recently was nominated to become a Preserve by Miami diver Terry Helmers. Located off Key Biscayne near Miami, the wreck of the Half Moon lies in shallow water on a sandy bottom. At the site of one of the fabled Spanish treasure fleet wrecks that sank during a hurricane in 1715 off present-day Ft. Pierce, the Urca de Lima park was opened to the public in September 1987. In April 1989, a second underwater preserve was opened at the site of the San Pedro , a galleon of the 1733 Spanish Plate Fleet that was wrecked in the Florida Keys near Islamorada.