the aquarium
Jack up Rig Dive
The Aquarium is the name we have given to a group of Jack Up Rigs located 15 miles off the coast of South Padre Island. They are located in 120 fsw and are home to a wide variety of colorful reef fish and native Gulf species. With structure that extends from the sea floor to above the surface, it is an ideal site for both beginner and advanced divers. You could easily spend your entire dive above 60 fsw.
Some of the fish we see on the rigs are; lionfish, lookdowns, angelfish, butterfly fish, barracuda, damselfish, gag grouper, blennies, amberjack, snapper and a variety of soft coral and sponge.
What is a jack up rig?
A jack up rig is a type of movable offshore drilling platform. The legs of the platform can be lowered to secure the structure to the sea floor. Then they are raised up and the platform becomes a float or barge that can then be moved to a new location via tugboat.
The South Padre Island jack up rigs were placed in their current location around 2014. Originally, there were over a dozen rigs. One by one they are being taken into the Port of Brownsville to be dismantled.
For pricing and availability please visit our Dive Trips page.
