The "Caribsea" is a picturesque dive with scattered wreckage spread out approximately 300 feet. It is easily found on most nautical charts as "D Wreck". This was our first trip to this wreck and we would have to venture across the infamous "Cape Lookout Shoals". I have never taken the "Pirates Dream" east of the shoals, so this was to be a learning experience. Two and a half hours later, we finally got a hold of the wreck and suited up to dive. The first thing to happen was my son had to sacrifice his lunch to the lords of the deep. When my acting first mate Nathan Tye entered the water, he informed me of the wolfpack that decided to join us on our first dive. Once everyone was in the water, and looking down on what seemed to be endless numbers of Big Barracuda, I proceeded down the anchor line with the rest of the divers to follow. We dove this wreck in late July 1999 and had a thermocline at around 60 feet.

The sharks, as you can tell, are still on the wrecks, which only adds to the excitement of diving here on the crystal coast. I was approached by a 8 foot sand tiger and experienced my first up close encounter, I got to pet the shark without it taking off my hand. I do not encourage this sort of thing, however I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I dove the Caribsea in July 2000 as a mate for the "Sea Quest 2" courtesy of Capt. Jerry Smith. The sharks were loaded up on her. There was quite a few BIG pregnant females towards the bow. I took a few pictures because vis wasn't that great. Once again the Caribsea proved she can still excite the divers. All the passengers were talking about the sharks the whole trip back.

...The Caribsea is at a depth of 85 feet. It is approximately a 300 foot wreck that is scattered along the bottom, with the boilers still in recognizable shape. The wreck is full of aquatic creatures, and if I ever learn how to take pictures, you would see the incredible fish life that adorn this wonderful wreck. The Caribsea, a.k.a. the "Buenaventura", & the "Lake Flattery" was built in 1919 and sunk by the U-158 on march 11, 1942. She was defenseless against attack, she carried no guns on board. The hull is contiguous and for the most part broken open. The bow stands upright some thirty feet above the sand, with winches in place and anchors in their chocks. The plating is beginning to slough off, a process that was accelerated by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Debris can be found amidships both port and starboard. Ribbing in the stern is high enough to enable a diver to swim underneath it easily; minor penetrations can be made into a partially enclosed interior. The rudder has collapsed and lies loose on the sand.

Photos taken by Diverlars!

Click Thumbnail to Load Image