READ ABOUT THIS WRECK IN SHIPWRECKS OF THE SUNSHINE STATE!

The Empire Mica was a British oil tanker, built in 1941 by Furness S.B. Company of Haverton Hill on Tees. She was 479' long, with a 61' beam, displacing 8,032 gross tons. The Mica was en route from Houston to England for the Anglo-American Oil Company Limited when two torpedoes from the U-67 ignited the 12,000 tons of oil she was carrying. The ship burned for a day as it drifted in the Gulf, finally sinking in 105' of water south of Cape San Blas, Florida. Thirty-three crewmen lost their lives in the attack.

The explosions did a great deal of damage to the Empire Mica.  Most of the remaining structure forms a large debris field.  However, part of the bow section is relatively intact and rises almost 60' off the bottom. The boilers, propeller shaft, and rudder make good landmarks on the wreck; her large screw was salvaged in 1981. The wreck site attracts abundant marine life including amberjack, barracuda, snapper, and grouper. It is one of the best wreck dives along the Florida panhandle.