The MV FANTASEA, a 144-foot retired casino boat, has been sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach in 88 feet of water, completing a project approved by the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners in February 2024.

• The vessel was deployed at coordinates 30° 14.388′ N, 86° 30.294′ W in the southeast corner of the Fish Haven 21 permitted area, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 feet from the RMS ATLANTIS and MV SKIPPIN SUE artificial reefs.

The county contracted Tri-Native Contractors Inc. for $450,000 to acquire and prepare the vessel and transported it from Louisiana to Orange Beach, AL. Walter Marine then took over and made final deployment preparations and towed to the deployment location in Okaloosa County waters. The FANTASEA is  the fourth vessel the county has worked with Tri-Native on, following the MANTA, DOLPHIN and DEEP STIM III deployments.

“As with all of our artificial reef deployments, this vessel will provide essential new habitat for numerous fish species and an exciting new dive site for scuba divers and fishermen,” said Alex Fogg, Okaloosa Natural Resource Manager. “This is the third vessel to be deployed in the nearshore Fish Haven 21 permitted area which allows for multiple boats to visit the general area and have a place to fish and dive. “

The deployment was part of the county’s 5-Year Artificial Reef Plan. Tri-Native Contractors fully cleaned and prepared the FANTASEA to meet all state and federal environmental standards for artificial reefs, including removing hazardous fluids and materials, cleaning tanks and bilges, and scraping flaking paint for land disposal. Okaloosa County Staff conducted final inspections to ensure the vessel was properly cleaned and prepared.  The hull, propeller, shaft and superstructure remained intact.

• Tri-Native coordinated with specialty marine contractor Walter Marine to cut holes for controlled flooding and sinking. Walter Marine completed the deployment, adding to their experience with dozens of large vessels and tens of thousands of prefabricated reef modules deployed throughout the Gulf.

The total deployment cost was  $65,000, with the county seeking partnership funding for the project. 

“Coastal Conservation Association Florida stepped up to cover the cost of the towing and deployment,” said Fogg. “This partnership with CCA is just one of many that Okaloosa County has underway from redfish releases to lionfish removal and other habitat restoration projects such as cordgrass planting.”

• Additional funding was reallocated from the RV DEEP STIM III artificial reef project, which came in significantly under budget at one-third the projected cost due to a tri-county partnership and involvement by community partners.

The 37-foot-tall vessel was also named the “Alex and Anna Jernigan FANTASEA Reef”. The reef honors the lifelong work the Jernigan’s have put into fisheries and conservation through CCA Florida.

Alex Jernigan is the founding father of CCA Florida. He and his wife Anna hosted the very first fundraising event in their home 40 years ago (Anna even cooked for everyone). Alex served as the Chairman of the Board for the first two years. He also sat on the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and continues to sit in the Government Relations Committee at the age of 93.

“The FANTASEA fits the design we are looking for to create interesting dive sites offshore Destin-Fort Walton Beach,” Fogg said. “With numerous swim throughs and a high profile, we expect this to be another popular site not only for fishers and divers, but also for fish! While this isn’t the first casino boat to be deployed off our coast, this is the largest and a more modern design which will last much longer.”

The artificial reef is expected to continue to spur tourism and economic activity for the area while providing new habitat for marine life. The FANTASEA joins other artificial reefs in the Fish Haven 21 area, including the 125-foot RMS Atlantis deployed in June 2023 and the 118-foot MV Skippin Sue tugboat deployed last month.

More about reef program here: https://www.destinfwb.com/explore/eco-tourism/artificial-reefs/