Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek: Diving the Merci Jesus

The northernmost vessel along the famous Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek – the Merci Jesus Shipwreck may just be the best of the bunch. Drop below deck or penetrate the wheelhouse of this beautiful artificial reef to discover what dwells inside after decades on the ocean floor.

Diving the Merci Jesus Shipwreck in Fort Lauderdale:

This article provides you with everything you need to know about diving the Merci Jesus Shipwreck in Fort Lauderdale. By the end, you’ll know what to expect on your dive, how to get there, and learn other tips to diving in South Florida.

For more on the Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek and its shipwrecks:

• How to Dive the Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek
• Diving the Tracey Shipwreck
• Diving the Jay Scutti Shipwreck

History of the Merci Jesus Shipwreck in Fort Lauderdale:

Little is known about the history of the Merci Jesus before it was sunk in 1998 by the Broward County Artificial Reef Program. What we do know, however, just like the two other shipwrecks within the Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek (the Tracey and Jay Scutti), the Merci Jesus was seized by U.S. Customs Officials for possession of drugs.

Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Seems to be a common theme in South Florida, though.

Merci Jesus Shipwreck Dive Overview:

The Merci Jesus is 90′ long and approximately 26′ wide with the bow of the boat pointing to the south. The hull sits upright in the sand, 70′ below the surface. Luckily, the top deck of the boat is an ideal spot for open water divers as it ascends up to a depth of 60 – 50′ feet – just within open water limits.

While circumnavigating the wreck be sure to drop down into the deck – it’s a cool area to explore without technically having an “overhead environment”. Down below, there’s a few swim throughs that are easy enough for most divers to try out!

Our favorite spot to hang out, though, is the stern of the Merci Jesus. The wheelhouse is a neat overhead environment along with the cabin in the back. You can get some really cool photos and video in this area.

Dive Planning on the Merci Jesus Shipwreck:

When available, we highly recommend Reef Smart Cards for any dive. They create beautiful waterproof cards that play a critical role in your dive plan. Additionally, we use their Dive Guide book for all of our diving in the Fort Lauderdale area.

For more: 23+ Dive Planning Resources for South Florida

What Dive Shops go to the Merci Jesus Shipwreck and Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek?

• American Dream Dive Charters behind the Hilton on 17th Avenue just south of downtown. They run a great, clean, and basic operation aboard their Newton Dive Boat. Don’t hesitate to book with their crew!
• Sea Experience in Bahia Mar Marina on Fort Lauderdale Beach. This is a full dive shop with classes, charters, retail, and guides. If you’re a new open water diver, we suggest you book with Sea Experience to ensure everything is taken care of. If you want a dive guide, call and request for (Andrew or Laura) and tell them we sent you!

More Photos from the Merci Jesus Shipwreck

For more on the Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek and its shipwrecks:

• How to Dive the Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek
• Diving the Tracey Shipwreck
• Diving the Jay Scutti Shipwreck

Help Protect the Coral Reef During Your Dive

Sunscreen! Shocking, I know! In fact, many popular sunscreen brands contain extremely harmful chemicals to our coral! Specifically, oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Because of this, we’ve partnered with our favorite brand of reef safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea! We want to get YOU discounts so you can help save our coral reefs with reef safe sunscreen!