S.S. Sapona

A Prohibition-era concrete freighter lying half-submerged off Bimini — a Bahamian landmark that has been a destination for divers and snorkellers since the 1930s.

Overview

The S.S. Sapona is one of the most unusual and historically evocative wrecks in the Bahamas. She was built as a concrete-hulled cargo steamer by the Liberty Shipbuilding Company in Wilmington, North Carolina, for the United States Shipping Board’s WWI Emergency Fleet — but the armistice came first and she never served in wartime. Sources disagree on her exact launch date: Wikipedia records her as launched 11 October 1919 under the name Old North State (renamed Sapona by year’s end), while the specialist registry concreteships.org dates her launch to January 1920. Reported tonnage is likewise close but not identical across sources: 2,795 gross register tons and roughly 3,500–3,590 deadweight tons, depending on the source. Note also that several tourism sites (including Bahamas.com) repeat a claim that the ship was “designed by Henry Ford” — this is a persistent myth; the vessel was built by the Liberty Shipbuilding Company for the U.S. Shipping Board, with no documented Ford design connection found in any source consulted for this audit.

After changing hands several times, she was purchased in 1924 by Carl G. Fisher, the developer of Miami Beach, for a low sum (reported as $4,000), and subsequently acquired by Bruce Bethell, a former British officer who moved her to Bimini to serve as a floating warehouse for his Prohibition-era liquor operation, earning him the nickname “Bimini’s Rum King.” She was driven aground at Barnett Harbour during the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 and abandoned — salvage was deemed too costly. During World War II, the wreck served as a target for U.S. Army and Navy training exercises; she was strafed with machine-gun fire and bombed repeatedly, leaving most of the concrete hull eroded away. Two independent sources (concreteships.org and The Vintage News) state specifically that Flight 19 — five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared on 5 December 1945 — was returning from a training run that included a practice bombing pass on the Sapona itself, not merely operating in the general area; target practice on the wreck ceased after the disappearance. The cause of Flight 19’s loss itself remains formally undetermined — sources describe it as unexplained rather than offering a confirmed cause. The Hemingway target-practice claim referenced in some retellings could not be confirmed or denied by any source located during this audit and remains unverified. Today the 281-foot concrete hull lies partially above the waterline — sources give a shallow-water depth in the range of roughly 3–6 metres (about 10–20 feet) — as much a surface landmark as an underwater dive site, and is visible and diveable year-round.

Site Information

Detail	Value
Depth Range	1–5 m
Difficulty	Beginner
Entry Type	Boat
Site Type	Wreck
Visibility	15–25 m
Current	Light
Water Temp	24–28°C

Marine Life

Site-specific reports (Snorkeling Report, cross-checked against a broader aggregation of Bimini dive-site descriptions) confirm French angelfish, spotfin butterflyfish, barracuda, French grunt, bluestriped grunt, schoolmaster snapper, bar jacks, sergeant majors, and eels around the wreck, along with sun coral and soft coral/sponge growth on the concrete hull. Fire coral on the hull is widely and consistently mentioned across Bimini dive and snorkel guides as a contact hazard, though this audit could not independently confirm it via a directly-fetched source (one candidate source returned a 403 error) — it is retained here as a standing safety caution rather than a fully re-verified fact. Claims of parrotfish, blue tang, Caribbean spiny lobster, southern stingrays, and green sea turtles at this specific site, present in the prior version of this page, could not be traced to any site-specific source during this audit and have been removed; regional Bahamian reef fauna of this kind may well be present, but no confirmation was found.

Dive Profile

Boat to the wreck, entry by giant stride or ladder into the shallow water. Divers swim around the submerged sections of the hull at 2–5 meters. The wreck is large enough to spend a full dive exploring — the hull sections have multiple swimming angles and interesting structural features. Surface intervals can be spent viewing the above-water sections of the hull. A complete exploration of the underwater portions takes 30–45 minutes.

Entry and Exit

Boat dive from Bimini-based operators. The wreck is close to the main islands of Bimini. Entry by giant stride from the boat. Exit to the boat via ladder or assistance.

Tips and Recommendations

The Sapona is excellent as both a scuba dive and snorkel — the very shallow depth means the underwater sections are visible from the surface. Historical context (the Prohibition-era liquor warehouse story, the WWII bombing practice connection, and the Flight 19 proximity) significantly enhances the experience — read about the wreck’s history before visiting. Fire coral is extensive on the hull surface — maintain awareness and avoid contact. The above-water sections of the wreck make for dramatic photos from the surface.

Safety Considerations

Fire coral (Millepora) is abundant on the Sapona’s concrete surface — avoid any contact with the hull. The exposed position of the wreck means Atlantic swell can create surge on the hull structure in rough conditions. Check conditions with operators before booking. The hull sections above water are structurally compromised — do not attempt to board the exposed sections.

Photography

The partially above-water wreck creates unique photography opportunities. Split-level shots showing the underwater hull and the above-water wreck sections simultaneously are a signature image. The schools of sergeant majors on the concrete walls photograph well in ambient light at this shallow depth. Atmospheric wide-angle shots with the rust-stained concrete and marine colonisation create a visually compelling subject.

Additional Resources

• Big Game Club Resort, Bimini: regularly runs dive and snorkel trips to the Sapona
• Bimini dive operators: the Sapona is typically the first stop on any Bimini dive itinerary

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Sources: Wikipedia - SS Sapona, Concrete Ships - S.S. Sapona, Bahamas.com - Sapona Shipwreck, The Vintage News - Chilling wreck of the SS Sapona, Snorkeling Report - Snorkeling the Sapona Shipwreck, Bimini. Last updated 2026-07-17.