Caribsea
North Carolina · United States
The Caribsea was a 250-foot American freighter torpedoed by a German U-boat in March 1942 while transporting manganese ore, breaking apart and sinking in about 20 metres of water relatively close to shore. The shallow depth and broken nature of the wreck make it an excellent dive for divers of all levels, with the hull sections now carpeted in colourful encrusting sponges and coral. Sand tiger sharks are reliably found resting inside the holds, and the site is well known as a resident shark aggregation point unlike any other on the East Coast.
Conditions
Depth
15 to 22 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
12 to 22 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
9 to 29°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 10 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 15 | 11 |
| Vis (m) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
White Ibis
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 72 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Knobbed Whelk
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 49 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Emperor Helmet Snail
Last confirmed Jun 21, 2026 · 29 records
Very likely
Most dives
Sand Tiger Shark
Last confirmed Jul 1, 2026 · 10 records
Very likely
Most dives
Thinstripe Hermit Crab
Last confirmed Jul 2, 2026 · 17 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Last confirmed Aug 27, 2025 · 14 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Atlantic Spadefish
Last confirmed Jun 11, 2025 · 1 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Moray Eel
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear