Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is one of 14 federally designated underwater areas protected by the federal government's National Marine Sanctuary Program. The sanctuary is in the northwest part of the Gulf of Mexico, is 56 square miles (146 sq km), and consists of three separate areas: East Flower Garden, West Flower Garden and Stetson Bank. The two Flower Garden banks are 12 miles (19 km) apart and 100-115 miles (160-184 km) directly south of the Texas/Louisiana border. Stetson Bank is about 70 miles (112 km) south of Galveston, Texas, and about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of the other two banks.

At the turn of the century, snapper and grouper fishermen nicknamed the area the "Texas Flower Gardens" because of the brightly colored sponges, plants, and other marine life they sometimes snagged and brought to the surface. By the time the sanctuary was designated, the term "bank" had been added to the name as a reference to the salt dome formations upon which the reefs are perched.

West Flower Garden Bank and East Flower Garden Bank
These underwater communities rise from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico atop underwater mountains called salt domes.
The East and West Flower garden banks are known for their large boulder corals, primarily brain and star corals, which cover about 50 percent of the available surface area on the reef cap. Around the reef, you will see many of the same reef fishes common to more familiar Caribbean dive sites, but not quite as much variety. If you are fortunate, you may also see some of the larger residents, such as manta rays, sea turtles and whale sharks.
About 1 percent of West Flower and 2 percent of Easter Flower are within the maximum recommended recreational dive depth of 130 feet (39 m).
Depths to: More than 400 feet (121 m) but diving is typically done in water 65 feet (20 m) deep below the surface at the top of the salt dome reef caps.
Visibility: 75-150 feet (23-45 m).
Water temperature: Mid-60s to the mid-80s Fahrenheit (High teens to about 30 degrees Celsius).
Marine life: Includes queen angelfish, groupers, amberjacks, great barracuda, red snapper.
More info: Visit www.flowergarden.nos.noaa.gov.
Getting there: There are several commercial dive charter operators that take divers to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the surrounding oil and gas platforms.

Stetson Bank
At Stetson Bank, divers will see upthrust ridges of rock covered in corals, algae and sponges. This can make it easier to see all the variety of reef fishes and invertebrates that call the area home. By looking in all the nooks and crannies, divers can find eels, urchins, shrimp, lobsters and shellfish. Large spotted eagle rays and mantas are known to frequent the outer edges of the area, as well.
Like West Flower Garden Bank, Stetson Bank has less than 1 percent of its total area within the recreational diving limit of 130 feet (39 m).
Depths to: 194 feet (59 m) but averages 80 feet (24 m), and reef caps are about 60 feet (18 m) from the surface.
Visibility: 40-100 feet (12-30 m).
Water temperature: Mid-60s to the mid-80s Fahrenheit (High teens to about 30 degrees Celsius).
Marine life: Includes turtles, stingrays, manta rays, scorpionfish, barracuda, amberjacks and groupers.
More info: Visit www.flowergarden.nos.noaa.gov.
Getting there: Several commercial dive charter operators take divers out to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the surrounding oil and gas platforms.