Oriskany Aircraft Carrier at Bottom of Sea

On May 17th 2006, after about 3 years of effort, the Navy has finally put the 888-foot "Mighty O" at the bottom of the sea. Explosive charges were placed in key positions in an attempt to cause the ship to remain level while it filled with water. The ship went down in about 36 minutes, much faster than the hours predicted by the experts, about 24 miles from Pensacola, Florida. The fantail went down first, and the ship rolled to the port side before going beneath the surface. The hope is that it landed upright and level, but we will know more after the Navy divers inspect the ship today and remove the cameras.

The Oriskany was active during the Vietnam War, but was decomissioned in 1976. It was declared ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places, so it was sheduled to be cut up for scrap. Instead, it is now the world's largest man-made reef. It is already drawing much interest from divers, and the dive shops are already booked for weeks ahead for dive trips. And, as for fishing, the grouper and other game fish will be finding the ship within hours after it's sinking. The site will be available to the public on Friday, May 20th. Contact us of you have comments or need information about travel, vacation rentals, commercial or residental property, or dive shops in the area. I can be reached at joe@stukey.com or through our website at www.stukey.com.