Copenhagen

The Copenhagen is the wreck of the 325-foot SS Copenhagen resting just off Pompano Beach. The site comprises hundreds of scattered pieces of a broken steel-hulled steamship, with large hull sections, stern machinery, a massive anchor and a commemorative plaque amid corals and sponges that attract abundant marine life. It is part of Florida's Underwater Archaeological Preserve and is a popular, frequently dived wreck. The wreck lies on a sloping limestone reef in about 16 to 31 feet of water, making it accessible as a single no-decompression dive and suitable for open-water divers and snorkelers. Entry is by boat via local mooring buoys; there is no shore entry. Visibility is often good, commonly about 65–98 ft in calm weather. Currents influenced by the Gulf Stream can run moderate along the drop-off, so the site is often treated as a drift dive and reef hooks or drift techniques may be used. Water temperatures typically range from the mid-60s °F in winter to the upper 70s or low 80s °F in summer. The SS Copenhagen was a 325-foot British steam-powered cargo ship that grounded on the Pompano drop-off and sank in 1900; after breaking up on a rocky limestone ledge it now lies in scattered pieces with the bow a short distance from the main wreckage. Notable features include intact lower hull columns and the engine/boiler room toward the stern, a massive anchor still on the reef, and the official dive site plaque.