News

Lee County’s most famous artificial reef will soon become an underwater art gallery. In May, Austrian photographer Andreas Franke plans to hang a series of photographs on Mohawk Veterans Memorial Reef, thus creating a temporary art exhibit only accessible to divers. Helping on the project will be the Lee County Division of Marine Sciences and […]

Late this summer there were a series of sightings of whale sharks in the waters of Redfish Pass, near Ft Myers, Florida. The whale sharks are rare to see in these waters and virtually unknown to the water surrounding Florida’s newest artificial reef.  The Mohawk, Lee County’s newest and most famous artificial reef is loaded […]

Lee County, Fla. — We’re discovering just how much an artificial reef can make a real difference for tourism. Divers and fishermen who use Lee county’s two dozen reefs spend nearly $60 million a year. And the newest artificial reef in southwest Florida is attracting tourists from near and far. click here for more

LEE COUNTY – A 20-foot whale shark was spotted swimming around the USS Mohawk less than a month after crews sank the ship to turn it into an artificial reef. It’s a sight divers who know the area well say would never have been possible. When the 65 foot World War II battleship slipped into […]

LEE COUNTY – A World War II hero sails into Southwest Florida in preparation for her descent to her final resting place. But the USS Mohawk isn’t alone in her journey. “Hey everybody! Welcome to the Mohawk,” greets Reefmakers marketing director Joe Weatherby. For Bonita Springs resident Ed March it’s welcome back. “I remember everything, […]

Mohawk media madness continues. ScubaNation, a Sun Sports television series, has developed an episode about the 165-foot former Coast Guard cutter Mohawk, which was scuttled July 2 off Lee County as an artificial reef. The episode originally aired in late July and will be repeated Friday, Sunday and Monday. Show hosts Billy Catoggio and Mitch […]

Lee County’s newest and most famous artificial reef is loaded with fish, and this week, a member of the biggest fish species in the sea paid a visit to the site. On Sunday, divers aboard Fantasea Scuba’s boat el Gavilan out of Port Charlotte took a swim with a whale shark that was cruising the […]

FORT MYERS BEACH, FL – The World War II ship the USS Mohawk was scuttled 28 miles off the coast of Sanibel Island early Monday afternoon. It is now an artificial reef for divers and anglers and is a veterans memorial. The county’s Marine Services Program and Reefmakers LLC, a Key West company that specializes […]

Discovery Channel Canada program Daily Planet featured the sinking of the USS Mohawk CGC Veterans Memorial Reef watch the episode here