Scuba Diving North Carolina, the Graveyard of the Atlantic

Many new divers and even many experienced divers might find it unusual that some of the best scuba diving in the Continental United States is off the coast of North Carolina. Also known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the coast offers both onshore and offshore (greater than 8 miles (ca. 13 km) from the shore) diving. There are dive sites suitable for all skill levels of diving. While the Atlantic Ocean brings forth images of cold deep water, that is not always the case here. The Outer Banks, barrier islands, that parallel the shore provides amble shallow diving opportunities, as well as protected dive sites. The area also has a number of shallow shoals, which a number of the ships sunk here unfortunately found. The Gulf Stream also helps keep the water a little warmer than many would expect. Water temperature in winter sees 72° F/22° C and averages 82° F/28° C in the summer.

When the United States entered WWII, they were not really prepared to protect the American coast. Within days of the US declaring war on Germany, German U-boats were on their way to the American coastline to attack shipping and military vessels. The Outer Banks became known as “Torpedo Alley” with U-boats sinking over 400 vessels. However, WWII was not the only war fought in these waters. There are also a number of Civil War wrecks. In total, there are over 2,000 shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast dating back to the 1500s. The local dive operators visit about 120 offshore dive sites, and about 60 onshore sites. Around half of these dive sites are in less than 70 feet (ca. 21 m) of water. There are also a number of parks with shore dives.

Scuba Diving Cape Lookout in the Morehead/Beaufort Area

If you are diving the North Carolina coast for the first time, I would suggest looking at the Crystal Coast. This includes Morehead City and Beaufort which has been called "America's Coolest Small Town". Cape Lookout National Seashore is considered a part of the Crystal Coast, and the center of diving in the area. You will have about 30 dive sites to choose from in the Cape Lookout area.

Here are three dive sites you should not miss:

• U-352: This 218 feet (ca. 66 m) long, German U-boat sunk and harassed American shipping in the early days of WWII, including mining the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay sinking 4 ships, and stopping all shipping from the bay for a number of days. Attacking the wrong target on May 9, 1942, she was sunk by the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. Today, one of the most popular dive sites in Cape Lookout, she sits in 110 feet (ca. 34 m) of water. If you are a history buff, take a look at this video.

• W.E. Hutton or Papoose: There is some confusion on the identity of a few wrecks sunk close together. The W.E. Hutton and Papoose were both sunk by U-124 on March 19, 1942. Initial surveys done in 1943 seems to have identified the wrong ships. According to NOAA, the ships once believed to be the Mirlo in fact San Delfino; the site of the believed Papoose is actually W.E. Hutton; the site of W.E. Hutton is the Ario, and the site of the believed San Delfino is actually Papoose. Using the NOAA information, the W.E. Hutton is a 412 feet (ca. 126 m) long tanker that is in 125 feet (ca. 38 m) of water. Certified wreck divers will find some sections of the ship available for penetration dives. It is also a great location to see Sand Tiger Sharks.

• Ario or the shallow W.E. Hutton: The Ario was originally misidentified as the W.E. Hutton. Some dive centers still refer to her as the Hutton. The ship is 436 feet (ca. 133 m) long with a beam of 56 feet (ca. 17 m). The ship is in only 70 feet (ca. 21 m) of water. Much of it was lowered to prevent it from being a hazard to shipping, an action that was done after another ship hit it and sunk.

Diving Cape Fear's Civil War District and Beyond.

If you are a Civil War buff, then Cape Fear deserves the top spot on your bucket list. At the onset of that war, almost all the industrial strength of the United States was in the north. The Confederate States of America (CSA) relied on goods imported from Europe for its part of the war effort. They exported cotton and other agricultural goods in exchange for other food, weapons, ammunition, and other goods to support the war. England was the major supplier.

One of the most important tasks of the Union Navy was to stop that trade and did so with a blockade. Wilmington North Carolina, located on the Cape Fear River, was one of the most important ports for the CSA. The area around Cape Fear and the mouth of the river was one of the main areas of focus of the blockade.

The efforts of the Union Navy were overall very successful, causing the CSA to shift its agriculture to growing food which in turn made it more difficult to purchase other supplies. This period, partially because of the blockades, saw major advancements in maritime technology. Ships were designed to escape the blockage, the so-called blockade runners.

Today, you will find 24 ships listed in the Cape Fear Civil War National Register Shipwreck District. There are 7 ships in the New Inlet Unit, 3 in the Lockwood's Folly Inlet Unit, and 4 in the Carolina Beach Unit. There are another 7, dispersed in the area away from these units.

Blockade runners tended to stay close to shore while trying to sneak past the blockade boats. Therefore, most of these wrecks are within a few hundred feet of land. They are also in water that averages less than 40 feet (ca. 12 m).

The Cape Fear area also has 6 off-shore wrecks that are not a part of the Civil War District that are dived as well. A few of these are from prior to the Civil War. WWII is also represented here and even a couple after.

Fish on U-85 NOAA Photograph

Can you Scuba Dive Nags Head?

Nags Head is a very popular Outer Banks destination known for its miles of beaches, impressive sand dunes, golf courses, and an overall great vacation destination. It also has a nice selection of offshore wrecks. If you are traveling with non-divers, Nags Head may be a great compromise. However, it should be noted that the wrecks are mostly deeper and in colder water. The warm water Gulf Stream influences much of the North Carolina coast. However, in this area the cold water Labrador Current is close to shore. Here are a few dives to consider:

• U-85: In April 1942, the German U-boat U-85 started its fourth combat patrol, its second to the US East Coast, off the coast of North Carolina. It made a few successful attacks before heading further south along the coast. On April 13, she was spotted on radar by the destroyer USS Roper. The destroyer closed on the submarine and caught her on the surface. The destroyers deck guns severely damaged the submarine causing the submarine's crew to abandon ship. U-85 currently sits in 110 feet (ca. 34 m) of water.

• Zane Grey: This 441 feet (ca. 134 m) long liberty ship survived WWII and was sunk as an artificial reef in 1974. The superstructure was removed prior to her sinking leaving the Zane Grey with an 40-foot (ca. 12 m) profile sitting in 80 feet (ca. 24 m) of water.

Sand tiger shark surrounded by fish in Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo: Greg McFall/NOAA)

Shark Diving and Searching for Megalodon Teeth

The East Coast of the United States is no stranger to sharks. Great White Sharks are known to migrate along the coast every year. Florida also has a large population of reef sharks. To many, however, it is North Carolina that is the shark capital of the USA. A large portion of this title is because of the numerous sightings of the ferocious-looking Sand Tiger Shark. Adult Sand Tiger Sharks will range from 6 feet (1.83 m) to 10 feet (ca. 3 m) in length. Many of the dive sites that are in deep water will normally have a number of these sharks hanging around. The USS Tarpon routinely may have as many as 50 at one time.

If you are not a shark lover, before you change your mind about diving here, there are a few facts to consider. First, the Sand Tiger Shark has a mouthful of sharp teeth but it is a docile, non-aggressive species. If you leave it alone, it will leave you alone. The Sand Tiger Shark is also known as the grey nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger. Despite the names, this shark is not directly related to either the dangerous Tiger Sharks or Nurse Sharks. Overall, this shark is often listed in lists of the 5 least dangerous large fish.

Another shark-related dive that you will find here are dives for shark teeth. These dives will fall into two groups, diving for Sand Tiger Shark teeth and diving for fossilized Megalodon teeth. Many of the wrecks are believed to serve as mating sites for the Sand Tiger Sharks. During the mating process, males will bite the females and in the process lose some teeth. Divers can find these teeth on and around wreck sites. They are also often found washed up on the beaches.

The Megalodon is an extinct shark believed to have been over 50 feet (ca. 15 m) long and weighing over 140,000 pounds (ca. 63,503 kg). The mouth of this massive shark could be as wide as 10 feet (ca. 3 m) with some teeth over 6 inches (ca. 15 cm) long. Scientist believes that when born, the Megalodon was already 6 feet (1.83 m) long. There are a number of dive sites off the coast of Wrightsville Beach that are believed to have been ancient rivers during the time of the Megalodon, and home for these sharks. While currents and visibility may be an issue at times, many of these dive sites are in less than 70 feet (ca. 21 m) of water. Megalodon teeth fossils are also often found on the beaches after storms.

Find Out More

This article has just skimmed the diving scene in North Carolina. If you have an interest in this area, I would like to recommend that you look for a book by Roderick Farb titled “Shipwrecks- Diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic”. The book is a number of years old but does give a good overview to get you started planning a trip.

Also, check out the NOAA site, the site includes the history of some of these wrecks as well as dive slates.