A 324-foot tanker that once carried sludge is about to get a remarkable second life beneath the waves. An old ship off the coast of Pompano Beach, Florida later turned into an underwater casino with poker tables, slot machines, giant shark sculptures and marine life. The Lady Luck, a retired New York tanker, has become the latest attraction at Shipwreck Park, an artificial reef complex designed to lure scuba divers and create new habitat for sea creatures.
From old tanker to submerged casino
The tanker was built in 1967 and was towed from New York to Florida in early 2016 after a 10-year search for a suitable vessel. Officials hoped that the wreck will become one of Florida’s strangest dive sites and one of the biggest additions to the state’s artificial reef program. The project was expected to attract around 35,000 divers annually.
Poker tables under the sea
The discarded pieces were re-used in the artwork, by incorporating valves, springs and other components that were taken out of the ship during the stripping process.
Lady Luck is not a run-of-the-mill wreck. It has three giant shark statues, a life-size mermaid, card-playing octopuses, fake slot machines and poker tables. The ship features 16 staterooms and a captain’s deck for certified divers to have fun. Local artists rotate displays of underwater artwork in a new interactive art exhibit, states the CBS news report. The report mentions that artist Dennis MacDonald designed the underwater casino, working with a small team, including his wife, to finish the project in about two months. MacDonald also came up with a clever way to recycle some of the old tanker parts. The discarded pieces were re-used in the artwork, by incorporating valves, springs and other components that were taken out of the ship during the stripping process.
Creating a new habitat for marine life
The vessel was carefully rigged for sinking. Holes were cut into the wreck and prefilled with water to help control the sinking process.
According to CBS news report, the spectacle wad only one part of the project’s raison d’être. Lady Luck was also intended to become a thriving artificial reef, adding surfaces for coral growth and habitat for fish and other marine organisms. It has been reported that the wreck could attract divers and marine life away from natural reefs, helping to minimize damage to those sensitive ecosystems. The vessel was carefully rigged for sinking. Holes were cut into the wreck and prefilled with water to help control the sinking process.
A new diving destination in Florida
Lady Luck was one of 15 underwater wrecks that comprised Shipwreck Park. According to the report, boat owners who were certified divers were allowed to enter the attraction for free. But for Pompano Beach, the project wad more than a sinking old ship. It was an experiment in combining tourism with art and marine conservation, by turning a retired tanker into an underwater playground that might eventually be colonized by coral, fish and other sea life. And down there, under the waves, among the poker tables and the giant sharks, Lady Luck was starting its second life.Images Courtesy: Shipwreck Park Pompano Beach
