Ship Wreck - U-352

The U-352 was a German submarine that was used during the notorious U-boat attacks in WWII along the NC Coast. On May 9, 1942, it was sunk by the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. This site was discovered in 1974 by Olympus owner and Captain George Purifoy and several friends. The history behind this site has been televised and featured on the History® Channel and is one of North Carolina's best-known dive sites. This site is visited on a Full Day Dive Trip.

• Name: U-352
• Date Sank: May 9, 1942
• Type: German Submarine
• Depth: 110 feet
• Length: 218 feet
• Penetration: No
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers

Ship Wreck - Papoose (aka W.E. Hutton)

Sitting upside down in the sand, the Papoose is one of our most popular wrecks for seeing the current inhabitants, sand tiger sharks! Divers looking to penetrate may do so in several places and may work their way internally as far as the boiler room; however, penetration of this wreck is recommended for certified wreck divers only. The Papoose is a 412-foot tanker that was torpedoed by the U-124 on March 18, 1942. The ship is largely intact and rests upside down in 125 feet of water. This site is one of the most popular shark sites that we visit. On any given day, there are approximately 15-20 sand tiger sharks that inhabit the ship and surrounding areas, if not more! If sharks are on your list of things to see, this is the site for you!! This site is visited on our Full Day Dive Trip.

• Name: Papoose (aka W.E. Hutton)
• Date Sank: March 18, 1942
• Type: Tanker
• Depth: 120 feet
• Length: 412 feet
• Penetration: Limited
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers

Ship Wreck - Schurz

The Schurz is one of those wrecks you can visit hundreds of times and still see something new! The wreck is sprawled along the ocean bottom, and points of interest on your dive may include the boilers, bow, and stern deck guns, anchor, and rudder. Divers often locate ammunition and bullets from the wreck with a sharp eye.

The Schurz was originally a 255-foot German gunship named the SMS Geier was built in 1894. In 1914, the United States seized the ship and took control, renaming it what we recognize today as the USS Schurz. When WWI broke out, this ship was one of Germany's target ships for destruction because they didn't want their ship to be a factor in their defeat; however, all destruction attempts failed. It wasn't until June 21, 1918, that the Schurz found its position in 110 feet of water when it collided with the SS Florida. A heavy concentration of aquatic life can be found here and typically includes: large schools of bait fish, sand tiger sharks, grouper, and amberjack. This site is visited on our Full Day Dive Trip.

• Name: Schurz (SMS Geier)
• Date Sank: June 21, 1918
• Type: US/German Gunboat
• Depth: 100 feet
• Length: 255 feet
• Penetration: No
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers

Ship Wreck - Aeolus

The shipwreck Aeolus was sunk in August 1988 as part of North Carolina's artificial reef program. She was built in 1945 and served as an attack cargo ship named the "Turandot" in the US Navy until 1947.  The Aeolus was repurposed as a cable repair ship in 1955.  The Aeolus is 409 feet long and lies at a depth of 110 feet. As a result of hurricanes in 1996, this ship has been split into three portions and has also been partially turned to an upright position, making it an excellent multi-level dive.  In recent years, Aeolus has been a prime site for diving with sand tiger sharks. This dive site is visited on our Full Day Dive Trip.

• Name: Aeolus
• Date Sank: August 1988
• Type: Cable Laying Ship
• Depth: 110 feet
• Length: 409 feet
• Penetration: Limited
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers

Ship Wreck - Spar

The Coast Guard Cutter Spar was sunk as a diver-friendly wreck just yards from the Aeolus. The Spar is known as a popular spot for Sand Tiger Sharks. The 180 feet long and 37 feet wide Spar sits at a 45-degree angle in 100 feet of water and is completely intact, allowing many opportunities for a diver to penetrate the wreck. 

The Spar is a great wreck for penetration diving as it is very open and has plenty of places to explore. Divers who don't wish to penetrate often start their dive around the main wheelhouse and move forward to the main deck. Sand tiger sharks usually swim along the crane, and divers frequently bring back a souvenir shark's tooth found lying on the wreck.

The Spar got its name from the US Coast Guard Motto "Semper Paratus, Always Ready," which was an appropriate name for the Coast Guard buoy tender commissioned in June 1944. Making port at various locations up and down the Northeast US, the Spar was one of the most awarded vessels in the Coast Guard fleet and served in a variety of missions during its 50-year service, including submarine hunting and oceanography assignments. After being decommissioned in February of 1997, the ship was sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Morehead City.

Now home to Sand Tiger Sharks, the Spar is one of our most popular sites since it sits upright and has lots of opportunities for penetration. This site is visited on our Full Day Dive Trip.  

• Name: Spar
• Date Sank: June 2004
• Type: Coast Guard Cutter
• Depth: 110 feet
• Length: 180 feet
• Penetration: Lots
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers

Ship Wreck - Caribsea

The Caribsea ship was a WWII freighter owned by the Panama Railroad Steamship Line that transported materials along the Eastern Coast. She was traveling from Cuba to Norfolk, VA, with a load of manganese. The ship had no arms at the time of its attack, leaving her defenseless. It was torpedoed on March 11, 1942, and lies in 90 feet of water and is populated by sand tiger sharks. With large groups of spadefish, baitfish, and amberjacks, this site is popular for its frequent visits of stingray, cobia, and Spanish Mackerel in the summer. This site is visited on our Full Day Dive Trip.

• Name: Caribsea
• Date Sank: March 11, 1942
• Type: Freighter
• Depth: 90 feet
• Length: 206 feet
• Penetration: No
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers

Ship Wreck - Atlas

The Atlas, built in 1916, was a gasoline tanker that found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time on April 9, 1942. With U-Boat activity very high in its surrounding water, this tanker was unarmed and in a very dangerous position. It underwent an attack on the evening of the 9th and was torpedoed by the U-552. The ship took its final resting place 23 miles east/southeast of the Beaufort, NC inlet. The top of the tanker is at 90 feet depth and the maximum depth is 130 feet. This site is visited on our Full Day Dive Trip.

• Name: Atlas
• Date Sank: April 9, 1942
• Type: Tanker
• Depth: 130 feet
• Length: 450 feet
• Penetration: Limited - Bow Section
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers