The SS Sapona ran aground off South Bimini in 1926, a concrete-hulled cargo steamer built for World War I and later repurposed as a rum-running warehouse during Prohibition. Her skeletal frame now rests in fifteen feet of water, visible from the surface and split nearly in two by a 1929 hurricane. The hull was used as target practice by American bombers during World War II, leaving jagged openings through which schools of sergeant majors and yellowtail snapper now patrol. What remains is one of the most accessible shallow wrecks in the Bahamas, its barnacle-encrusted girders rising like industrial sculpture against the pale sand floor. Bimini snorkeling shipwreck expeditions center on the Sapona but often include secondary sites along the same reef system. The wreck sits a short boat ride from Bennett's Harbour, surrounded by coral heads and turtle grass that attract green sea turtles, southern stingrays, and juvenile nurse sharks. Visibility typically exceeds sixty feet, and the site's shallow depth makes it suitable for novice snorkelers who would struggle with deeper offshore wrecks. The rusting metal acts as an artificial reef, hosting sponges, brain coral colonies, and dense clusters of baitfish that shimmer in the midday light. Charter operators favor morning departures when wind chop is minimal and the sun angle illuminates the interior chambers. The wreck's historical significance extends beyond maritime archaeology. Howard Hughes purchased the vessel in the 1930s, intending to convert her into a floating casino before abandoning the project. Decades of saltwater corrosion have reduced the superstructure to fragmented ribs and engine mounts, but the hull's original poured-concrete construction remains intact, a testament to early twentieth-century naval engineering. Underwater photographers prize the contrast between the Sapona's angular decay and the organic forms of encrusting marine life. At high tide, only the uppermost section breaks the surface, marked by seabirds that roost on the exposed beams. The site remains open year-round, accessible exclusively by private charter or multi-stop snorkel tour departing from North or South Bimini marinas.