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FLORIDA KEYS Shipwrecks Valbanera Wreck Key West
Historical and current Florida Keys Shipwreck Information and images for scuba divers, fisherman and marine historians.
             

 

 

 

   Capt. Dan Berg's Wreck Valley Collection   

 
FLORIDA SHIPWRECKS,
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The Divers Guide to Shipwrecks around the State of Florida and the Florida Keys. Includes over 240 illustrations comprised of 151 color photos, 83 black and white historical images, 8 dynamic u/w sketches.
                    How to SHIPWRECK DIVING Guide By Capt Dan Berg 

 
   

VALBANERA Key West

The Valbanera was a Spanish passenger liner that was built by Charles Conell Company of Glasgow in 1906. She was 399.7 feet long, had a 48 foot beam and displaced 499 gross tons. The Valbanera was en route to Cuba when she was sunk by a hurricane in September of 1919. She was last seen trying to make her way into Havana on September 12. A few wireless messages were received but nothing that indicated immediate distress. Later, efforts were made to contact the ship, but there was no response. 

Greek spongers were the first to locate the wreck. She was found lying on her port side with every port and door closed. To the best of our knowledge no bodies were ever found, and no life boats had been launched. Apparently, her Captain had ordered everything to be shut tight as he tried to guide his ship through a narrow channel. On September 19, Ensign Roberts from the Sub Chaser 203 confirmed the wreck's identity. He could clearly read the nameplate Valbanera on the sunken vessel. At the time of her sinking, the Valbanera carried 400 passengers and 88 crew members; mysteriously no survivors or bodies were ever found.

According to diver Billy Deans, she lies 40 miles west of Key West and sits in 30 feet of water on Half Moon Shoals. The Valbanera is now scattered across the shallow sand bottom.

Basic shipwreck information and images for this section of this site was taken with permission from the book Florida Shipwrecks by Daniel Berg. You are invited to submit your shipwreck related articles, images and information. As long as the text, photographs, sketches etc are of professional quality we will showcase them. Full credit will be provided and a same page link to your web site can be arranged.
 

 
 
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Copyright Capt. Dan Berg / Aqua Explorers Inc

2745 Cheshire Dr
Baldwin NY 11510
E-Mail Wreckvalle@aol.com

 
 
 
 
 
   


 
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