New Artificial Reef Deployed South Of Orange Beach

Argosy VI, a former riverboat casino from Indiana, was recently deployed as Alabama’s newest artificial reef approximately 23 miles south of Orange Beach, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announced. Its Marine Resources Division (MRD) is overseeing the project that started with towing the 408-foot vessel from its temporary home in Bayou La Batre, where it was gutted and prepared for deployment, into the Gulf of America. On July 1, Argosy VI was scuttled to make a trifecta of large artificial reefs as it joined New Venture and Lulu in the same general vicinity. The new reef is at N29° 52.206′, W087° 34.984′ in 120 feet of water with 62-64 feet of water above the top of the vessel. “This sinking completes the dream we started back in 2013 with the reefing of the 272-foot-long LuLu, ” ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship said. “Our goal at MRD, along with the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef and Restoration Foundation, was to build three large ship-sized reefs in fairly close proximity and use the synergies to drive dive operators and fishing business opportunities. In 2018, we reefed the 250-foot-long New Venture, and we have been looking for the right vessel to complete the planned three vessel program. The [Argosy VI] had been in Bayou la Batre for years and had been a target for reefing, but the owner had other plans for the vessel. Over the past year, the stars aligned, and we had an opportunity to work with the owner and agree to purchase the vessel for this 408-foot-long, four-deck-high artificial reef.”