Escambia County will be adding three concrete reef modules and 10 tons of faux “ballast rock” to the Bay Snorkeling Reef in Pensacola Bay located approximately 100 yards north of Park West on Pensacola Beach. Construction is set to begin on Friday, November 30, or as soon as conditions permit.
SeaRest, Inc., donated the materials to Escambia County to provide additional habitat within the snorkeling reef. The faux ballast rock is the first phase of an Escambia County project to simulate the remains of a centuries-old shipwreck.
The reef is located in Santa Rosa Bay (Lat. 30-19.673’, Lon. 87-10.870’) about 100 yards due north of Park West. Immediately after construction, swimmers and snorkelers can access this reef from the parking lot on the north side of Ft. Pickens Road.
This new addition will complement the current 80 foot by 80 foot reef of 49 prefabricated concrete modules, ranging from 375 pounds to 4,200 pounds each. The four corners of the reef area are marked by pilings.
Since this project is weather dependent, please contact the Public Information Office at 595-3476 each morning for confirmation of deployment activity.
