Cape May, New Jersey, is home to the United States Coast Guard’s largest training center, and it attracts countless visitors each and every year. The town is famous for its wonderful Victorian Bed and Breakfast Inns, as well as sites like Congress Hall and the Physick Estate. Ghost hunters flock to the area in droves, and seafood aficionados enjoy dining on the sea’s bounty. If you decide to explore the water around Cape May, you’ll find interesting reefs and wrecks, plus plenty of sparkling Cape May diamonds.
City of Athens
The City of Athens, built as a luxury liner at Camden, NJ in 1911, now lies in 110 feet of water about twenty miles off Cape May’s shores. Though she was christened as the Somerset, some divers now fondly refer to this 331 foot long wreck as “The Refrigerator” due to the cold water temperatures in the area.
The ship went down May 1st, 1918, after being hit broadside by La Gloire, a French Navy Cruiser. Though the accident was completely unintentional, the ship went down almost immediately after being struck, and sixty seven people lost their lives. Today, divers enjoy exploring the wreck, which is still in one piece. Though intact, City of Athens is basically a mass of twisted wreckage that houses plenty of lobsters and fish. Artifacts are found on a regular basis, including china and bottles, ammunition, and even some rifle butts. Visibility in the area is great, thanks to the distance from shore. You can normally see for 35-40 feet, and sometimes visibility increases to as much as sixty feet.
The Wreck of the Atlantus: A Tempting Treasure
The concrete ship, Atlantus, which is often visible at the southern end of the Cape May Shore south of Wildwood, really did float at one time! During World War One, the United States military was experiencing a devastating shortage of metal for constructing ships, aircraft, and military vehicles. One of twelve experimental ships fabricated from concrete by the Liberty Shipbuilding Company of Brunswick Georgia, she was assembled in the corporation’s Wilmington, NC shipyard. At 250 feet long, with a forty-three foot beam, she was an engineering marvel. Atlantus crossed the Atlantic several times, and even brought US soldiers home from France at the end of the first World War.
In 1920, the ship was stripped, and in 1925, National Navigation company bought the hull, with plans to operate a ferry service like the one that is in place today, from Cape May to Lewes, Delaware. The service planned to use the hull as a ferry terminal.
As so often happens, Mother Nature interceded. Atlantus broke free of her moorings and came to rest near Sunset Beach. In 1925, she was positioned where she is today, as a makeshift wharf. Attempts to free her failed, and there she sits – tempting swimmers and divers alike. The wreck is inhabited by plenty of fish, including bass, blues, flounder and stripers.
If you want to dive the Atlantus, be careful. There are strong, dangerous cross currents and there is hazardous rebar under the water. The best time to see it is on a clear, calm day at slack tide. Do not venture out alone, and be sure you have folks waiting for you on the beach.
Cape May Artificial Reef
The Cape May Artificial Reef is enormous. It is situated just 8.5 miles outside Cape May, and is loaded with wrecks and reef balls. There are numerous army tanks to explore, as well as tire units. All these features, along with the famous “Redbirds” make for interesting, and intense diving experiences.
The redbirds are red subway cars that were donated to the artificial reef program by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Located between 80 and 130 feet, these behemoths have attracted plenty of colorful life since their addition to the reef in 2003. Hundreds of these cars were added to other reefs in the area, including an astonishing 619 cars donated to the Delaware Reef.
Dive charters run regularly, so if you are planning a trip to Cape May, don’t forget to check out the diverse underwater life! You’ll be amazed.