Sharks and subs in the graveyard of the atlantic

Photos: Michael Patrick O'Neill

I’m all alone on the submarine, 35m down, and it’s a special treat. I’m diving during the dayboat divers’ surface interval, and the difference between visiting this world-class wreck alone, and with another 20 divers in tow, is like night and day.

I have the U-352 all to myself, and it’s an intimate, moving experience. Even 65 years after its demise, this Second World War predator still looks ominous, although not large at 67m by 6m. It lies angled at approximately 45 degrees on the sandy bottom. If its surviving crew had a chance to see it today, they would be proud – their ship looks pretty good, considering more than six decades of saltwater corrosion, countless storms and damage from its first and only naval engagement.

On the bottom of the Atlantic, 46km offshore from Morehead City, North Carolina, my mind drifts back to 1942 as I swim over the conning tower and torpedo hatches. I imagine the cramped crew inside working feverishly to score their first kill. Having left St Nazaire, France, in April 1942 on its third patrol, the U-352 steamed across the ocean to intercept merchant ships en route to Europe to resupply the Allies. In May, it failed to sink the SS Freden, a Swedish vessel, and was subsequently spotted by aircraft and bombed. The submarine escaped injury and resumed its mission. A few days later, it mistook the USS Icarus, a coastguard cutter, for a merchant ship, fired – and missed. This blunder turned out to be fatal.

Having lost the element of surprise, the hunter became the hunted. The Icarus tracked the U-352 and dropped five depth charges, crippling it. Forced to surface, the U-boat came under more fire. Seventeen German sailors died, and the rest were taken as POWs. Commander KL Rathke gave the order to scuttle the boat, and it sank far below, out of the Americans’ reach.

This and countless other historic wrecks make up the infamous ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’, situated along the Outer Banks, a string of islands along the central to northern coastline of North Carolina. Ships have been sinking here since colonial times: in collisions, hurricane and battles. Blackbeard’s [vessel] Queen Anne’s Revenge went down here, as did the USS Monitor, the first iron-clad battleship used in combat, during the American Civil War.

Today, the Graveyard’s offshore wrecks lure seasoned divers who are interested in history and adventure. The dive day, which starts at 6.30am at the dock, is long but rewarding. Travel times to and from the wrecks can be up to two hours each way. The weather is fickle, and rough conditions can mean cancellations, or diving inshore sites with poor visibility. In other words, if you’ve signed up to dive these remote ships, you know exactly what you’re getting into – and you’re looking forward to it. Most divers visit for two or three days; I stayed for a whole week and feel I still didn’t get enough.

High-capacity tanks are the norm, and technical rigs pretty common. Depths range from 27 to 40m, and during June, July and August – by far the best time to visit – conditions can be excellent, with 30m visibility and 25°C water.

The nature of the diving attracts mostly competent divers, and the charters give complete freedom to their customers as long as safety guidelines are followed. Divemasters use full-face masks equipped with communications gear to report conditions from the bottom, and set lines to facilitate navigation around the wrecks. Decompression trapezes make deco stops easy, and spare regulators are placed 6m below the surface in case anyone runs short of their 30 per cent nitrox mix – the recommended blend.

The northern fingers of the Gulf Stream have transformed these shipwrecks into unique habitats where tropical species, washed up from southern latitudes, mingle with their cold-water cousins. Shoals of baitfish are so thick they often make divers ascend above them to find the anchor line. On the wreck of the Spar, jumbo Almaco jacks used me as a blind to approach and ambush cigar minnows, and oversized gag and scamp grouper – species that reflect the overall health of the ecosystem – hover by the dozen in many sites.

It may be a surprise to some, but the non-native Volitans lionfish is also completely established in this patch of ocean. While debate continues on how this Indo-Pacific fish found its way to the east coast of the United States, there’s no question that it’s here to stay. Scientists believe more than one million lionfish live in North Carolina alone. They inhabit every shipwreck and grow to enormous proportions due to an endless supply of bait and the absence of natural predators. The water temperature never drops below 15ºC, making these invasive predators year-round residents. Some locals claim that the extra-large pests taste good and have begun hunting them for food.

Although the odd bull, hammerhead and great white shark shows up on occasion, the sand tiger shark is generally considered the top predator in this habitat. Known as the grey nurse in Australia and ragged tooth (or ‘raggie’) in South Africa, it embodies our primal fears about sharks, with its dagger-like teeth and cold, sinister stare.

For the uninitiated, an encounter of this type could be a nightmare, but for divers, running into such an animal is a dream come true. A major draw of North Carolina diving is the chance to see this photogenic creature right up close on wrecks such as the Papoose, Schurz, Aeolus, Spar and Caribsea. The population is fluid and moves around periodically from ship to ship. For years, the Papoose was the hottest ticket around, but now the Caribsea seems to have taken its place.

A 2,600-ton freighter which was torpedoed during the war, the Caribsea went down north of Cape Lookout in an inshore position in limited visibility. However, what it lacks in water clarity it more than makes up for in heart-thumping, in-your-face shark action. Adult female sand tiger sharks, many with mating scars on their pectoral fins, hang facing the current in mid-water. While the 4m-long fish are well equipped to do some serious damage, they are extremely tolerant and curious. They swim away when approached but often double back and investigate.

A photographer armed with a lot of patience and a fisheye lens can eventually fill the frame of his camera with one of these adult sharks by cosying up to it inch by inch. Be warned, however: as soon as you cross a certain threshold, it will abruptly take off like a missile, making a loud, booming sound with its tail and leave you spinning in its wake. This species unfortunately remains endangered, even after years of protection. Like many large sharks, it hasn’t been well served by evolution to deal with the human threat. It matures slowly, readily approaches divers and bears only two pups per litter (the strongest two embryos eat their siblings in utero). While its long-term survival is questionable in other countries, it seems to be doing well off the eastern US. The number of divers visiting to see these fish is significant, and many people outside the dive industry are finally realising that the sharks are good business.

In an age when we’re constantly bombarded with bad news concerning the state of the oceans, it’s nice to dive in a place where the underwater terrain is filled to the gills with life. North Carolina is blessed with a profusion of wildlife that just happens to live in a fascinating, historically significant corner of the Atlantic.

NEED TO KNOW

The ideal time to dive the Outer Banks is from June to October, with the best month being July, when the water is warm (23–25°C) and clear (6–30m, depending on location). Hurricane activity peaks in September and October along the eastern seaboard of the US.

Weather permitting, operators run trips everyday. Half-day trips focus on inshore wrecks, while full-day excursions go far offshore to the really good stuff.

Morehead City and Beaufort are the two coastal towns from where the charters leave. These seaside communities are roughly six hours by car from Washington DC and three to four hours from Raleigh and Charlotte (two cities in North Carolina).

The surrounding area has plenty of affordable lodging and dining, as well as beautiful beaches, natural areas and friendly people. Reservations for both diving and lodging are strongly recommended during June and July.

CONTACTS

Olympus Dive Center
713 Shepard Street, Morehead City,
NC 28557
Phone: 001 252 726 9432
Web: www.olympusdiving.com

Discovery Diving
14 Orange Street, Beaufort, NC 28516
Phone: 001 252 728 2265
Web: www.discoverydiving.com