I
pulled myself down the line through the density of
a midwater thermocline, concerned the dark and
limited visibility would spoil my first dive on the newly
discovered
USS Tarpon
, a decorated World War II
submarine that sank in 1957 while under tow during a storm
off Cape Hatteras, N.C. A sudden break in the haze opened
visibility to 40 feet, and out of the gloom appeared the only
American submarine in the United States accessible to
recreational divers. Gazing upon the long gray tube I was
astonished to observe it shimmering mysteriously, as if intent
on engaging the enemy 140 feet below war-torn waves.
But wait a minute. The sub seemed to be moving. It
couldn’t be! Finally I realized several large, lead-silver shapes
were dancing along the darkness of the hull. Four rather
sizable sand tiger sharks impeded my path to the submarine.
With a touch of anxiety, I eased past the 10- and 12-foot
creatures, girths as big as 50-gallon drums, and touched
the cold metal of the hull. After a few moments of deep
breathing to calm myself, I continued my dive into history
on this magnificent war machine, perpetually waiting
for divers willing to brace the challenges of open-water
shipwreck diving.
T E X T A N D P H O T O S B Y J O E P O E
28
|
FALL 2011
LOCAL DIVING
SHIPWRECK EMPIRE
Diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic
Clockwise: Diver Rick Allen at 135 feet on the 450-foot-long
USS Yancey, sunk as an artificial reef; green sea turtle on
the Papoose; queen angelfish on the SS Atlas; sand tiger
sharks patrolling the 125-foot bottom near the Papoose
28-32_Local_Diving_Fall2011.indd 28
10/12/11