USNS Clark Wreck - North Carolina
The USNS Clark, a former Navy transport ship, sits upright at about 60 feet, making it a surprisingly accessible North Carolina wreck. We love how the relatively shallow depth means longer bottom times, giving you plenty of opportunity to poke around her massive cargo holds. As you descend, the sheer scale of her structure emerges from the blue, often shrouded in schooling baitfish – our favourite is when the silversides blanket the deck like a living quilt. We'd suggest aiming for a slack tide; the current here can run pretty strong, and you want to be able to drift through the passageways at your leisure. Inside, you’ll likely find resident sand tiger sharks cruising the deeper sections, their toothy grins a thrilling sight against the ship's rusty bulkheads. Keep an eye out for the colourful juvenile angelfish and spadefish darting between the soft corals that now colonise her railings. It’s a proper dive into history, alive with nature.
- Location
- North Carolina, United States, North America
- Coordinates
- 36.988934, -75.363070
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Myrtle Island
Nearby Dive Sites in North Carolina
- 184 menhaden vessel CAPT GREG MICKEY AR-400 (wreck)
- Aeolus (Wreck) - 31m (wreck)
- AR-220 - Buoy - 20-35m (wreck)
- AR-225 - Buoy
- AR-255 - Buoy
- AR-302 - 459 Assault Transport Ship YANCEY (wreck)
- AR-366 - Buoy
- AR-368 - 10 Railroad boxcars (wreck)
- AR-368 - 241 barge LC-16 (wreck)
- AR-368 - Buoy
- AR-372 - 10 Railroad boxcars - 15-30m (wreck)
- AR-372 - 2 220 barge (wreck)
- AR-376 - 10 Railroad boxcars - 15-30m (wreck)
- AR-376 - Buoy
- Atlantic Beach Reef AR-315 - 104 US Navy tug TAKOS (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to USNS Clark Wreck
- All About Diving
- Aquatic Safaris - ["PADI"]
- Bay Breeze Dive Center
- Broadreach Adventures LLC - ["PADI"]
- Bubbles or Not Scuba
- Carolina Dive Center - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in North Carolina
Home to 42 recorded species including 38 reef fish, 2 clams & mussels, 2 other.
Notable Species
- Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii) - Reef Fish
- Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) - Reef Fish
- Sea Trout (Salmo trutta) - Reef Fish
- American Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) - Reef Fish
- brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) - Reef Fish
- asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) - Clams & Mussels
- Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) - Reef Fish
- Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
- Skipjack Herring (Alosa chrysochloris) - Reef Fish
- White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) - Reef Fish
- Threadfin Shad (Dorosoma petenense) - Reef Fish
- Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) - Reef Fish
- Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) - Reef Fish
- Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) - Reef Fish
- Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis) - Reef Fish
- Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) - Reef Fish
- Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) - Reef Fish
- Fringed Flounder (Etropus crossotus) - Reef Fish
- Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) - Reef Fish
- Wandering Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) - Clams & Mussels