Hatteras, NC (June 2025)

diving aboard Lion's Paw

Wreck of the Tamaulipas (Far East Tanker), Stern Section (sunk April 9, 1942 by U-552)

The Tamaulipas has undergone significant collapse over the past few years, but the engine (above left) and boilers (above right, with Matt Walters) still stand proud of the bottom.

(above left) machinery with engine in background; (above right) the end 'box' of boiler tubes that sent hot gases up the smokestack is still in place on this boiler.

A mass of invasive lionfish congregate near the top of the ship's engine (above left); the ship's port boiler half submerged in the sandy bottom, with the listing engine in the background (above right).

 

Wreck of the Merak (sunk August 6, 1918 by U-140)

Three views of the extreme stern of the upside-down wreck of the Merak, with its prominent four-bladed propeller. (left) Art Kirchner with prop in 1995 (film); (center and left) prop in 2025 (digital)

The Merak was broken in half when she was torpedoed, and the two halves lie perpendicular to each other on the ocean bottom. Leaving the stern section you can enter the forward half, which is also upside-down, at the break. In the distance you can see a dim glow at the end a long tunnel. Swimming through the ship's inverted hull, the glow becomes brighter and brighter until you reach the very bow of the ship, which is riddled with holes allowing light to penetrate her dark interior.

 

Wreck of the Australia, Bow Section (sunk March 16, 1942 by U-332)

With little to no current we decided to check out the wreck of the Australia, which tends to be largely buried beneath the rolling sand dunes that constantly shift location on the Diamond Shoals. For the first time in many years the ship's bow was partly uncovered, revealing her bow winch and anchor gear.

 

Wreck of the Empire Gem (sunk January 23, 1942 by U-66)

The Empire Gem proved to be a prolific marine life dive on the day we were there. Beneath the ship's fantail were dozens of sand tiger sharks, continuously circling in an endless parade of fins and teeth.

In addition to being very 'sharky' we had the fortune of an unusual sighting--a pair of large tarpon were parading back-and-forth across the top of the ship's two diesel engines.

 

Atlantic Beach, NC (April 2025)

diving aboard Atlantis IV

WE Hutton, aka Papoose (sunk March 18, 1942 by U-124)

Our annual April trip to Atlantic Beach is a bit early in the season for East Coast diving, with the risk of wind and rough seas always present, as well as cold water temperatures. We managed to get out to the wreck of the Papoose (actually the WE Hutton) on Friday, and indeed the water on the bottom was a chilly 66 degrees, but the visibility was reasonably good. We did have some decent shark action, as well as a huge stingray lying in the sand, which we tentatively identified as a roughtail stingray, a larger cousin to the more common southern stingray.
This roughtail stingray was hanging around the wreck for both of our dives, and was quite large. On the first dive she was sitting in the sand alongside the hull on the starboard side, but on the second dive it was sitting off the wreck's upside-down stern.
The wreck's hull is rapidly collapsing these days, but in some ways it becomes a more interesting dive. You can easily swim in and out of the stern on either side, and the cylinders of the upside-down steam engine are now readily visible (above left).
(above left) A sand tiger swims overhead; (above right) a small sand tiger swimming in front of the upside down bow of the ship, the anchor visible to the left, still in its hawsepipe.