NINE MILE REEF

Nine Mile Reef, located 10.4 nautical miles from the Mayport jetties is one of the natural reefs running from Jacksonville all the way to Daytona Beach. It is not just a single reef; it is a reef that rises from the sea floor to disappear again in the sand. We refer to the first part of Nine Mile Reef, located at nine miles offshore the Mayport jetti’s, hence its name.

Artificial reef programs have spent more than thirty years here to create a region with a divers and healthy underwater habitat. This resulted in several wrecks such as the Open Sided Barge, Vic’s Barge and a fifty foot long steamer tug named Asphalt Barge in the center of the reef. Nine Mile Reef is one of the best known areas for diving, fishing and other water activities.

Spearfishing, catching lobsters and diving arrived later at the scene. Bottom fishing is very popular in spring and summer and results in catches such as cobia, cuda, bonito, kingfish and tuna. But it is not only bait and game fish that lives here. Grouper averaging 15 pounds, along with large flounder and sheepshead reside within the series of vessels in this reef.

Depths are around 75 feet and visibility is generally around 30 feet. This is a popular area for lobstering and spearfishing.It became famous first by fishermen because of its natural large amount of fish and because of its distance from shore.

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