PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – On Thursday afternoon, the famous Black Pearl from the film series Pirates of the Caribbean, starring Johnny Depp, became an artificial reef in Bay County. The 97-foot steel pirate ship became Panama City Beach’s newest Davie Jones’ locker treasure.
The vessel, originally built as a movie prop, was towed from Orange Beach, Alabama, and made its final descent about an hour southwest of St. Andrews Pass. Walter Marine handled the tow and sinking operation. Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visit Panama City Beach were in charge of the project. Panama City Dive Center was also present to assist in the deployment. The ship is now on the seafloor at approximately 75 feet deep.
“This was designated for a movie prop, so it did not have a lot of the grease buildup, the engine, the fuel, everything that is required to remove for artificial reefs. So this was a prime artificial reef vessel,” said Erin Graham, artificial reef coordinator at Visit Panama City Beach…