Above: A photo of the USS Vandenberg’s radar dish used to spy on missile launches during the cold war. Below: The same radar dishes provide an eerie giant mushroom garden of steel underwater.
I was blown away when I first heard that the USS Vandenberg was officially declared “open to the public” last year. Located 140 feet below the surface, the Vandenberg was a missile tracking ship that was used to spy on Russian missile launch operations during the Cold War. For all you movie geeks, this ship played the role of the Russian vessel for the sad 1999 action / horror film, Virus.
Today the Vandenberg is one of the most popular artificial dive sites in the USA (Key West) and is apparently the main attraction of Florida Keys Shipwreck line at 523 feet.
Here’s one of the first videos ever to be taken of the wreck, with strong currents to boot! From the video you will see what remains of an American flag flapping, not to the strong winds but to the strong currents of 140 feet.
No sharks here, but reef fish such as damsels, yellow tangs, angelfish, and a really huge grouper named ‘Junkyard’ abound. If you’re a diver and want to experience hovering above big ass radars, this is it for you!
