(20 fsw) A small freighter that was 879 tons and about 120 feet long.  This vessel was formally a Federal Gunboat named the Stars and Stripes.  She was carrying 500 tons of iron rails and 200 tons of stone when she went down in 1878 with the loss of 91 lives.  It is located about three miles south of Currituck Beach light in Corolla and is about 100 yards off the beach in 15 to 20 feet of water. 

(20 fsw) MP2 area.  This wreck sits in 15 to 20 feet of water about 100 yards or so off the beach between MP2 and MP3.  It was called the Winks wreck because it lies near the Winks store on Eckner St and the beach road.  

Local diver Marc Corbett dove this site extensively exploring the wreckage for clues as to the identity of the vessel.  He now strongly believes that the Wink's wreck site is actually the British Steamer Mountaineer. 

Marc has found that the site is not big, so it is somewhat hard to locate.  He found that there was a good deal more current, and less visibility on this site than on a lot of other dive sites in the area.  Marc recommends hitting it around high tide to minimize the current and visibility problems.

To locate the Mountaineer / Wink's wreck go to Luke Street in Kitty Hawk.  There is a house that sits on the beach just to the South, it has that brownish green vinyl siding.  As you get in the water you need to look for the house BEHIND that house, and just to the South.  If you line up on the covered porch pilings of that house (the one behind the house on the beach) and stay on them as you go out you should find it.  It isn't all that far out, maybe 100 yards.  You should definitely see it from the surface on a clear day as the top of the wreck is only about 5 feet or so below the surface.

(25 fsw) MP5 area. This wreck is located about 300 yards south of the Avalon pier.  May be covered in sand but warrants further investigation.

(20 fsw) The Carl Gerhard is the northern wreck of the Triangle Wrecks, located just off Second Street beach in Kill Devil Hills. A 50 yd or so swim from the shore puts you right on top of the wreck, parts of which are seasonally covered in sand. Plenty of small fish and occasional larger ones visit the site. The Carl Gerhard came ashore during a storm in 1929 and cut the Kyzickes in two.

The Kyzikes is the southern wreck of the Triangle Wrecks. The Kyzickes was the first of the Triangle Wrecks to come ashore in December 1927. and is located just south of the Carl Gerhard.

(20 fsw) A state archaeological site, the Huron is a well-preserved wreck from the 1860s located just off the Bladen Street beach access in Nags Head. This wreck is often buoyed in the summer months. Information on the wreck can be found here.

(20 fsw) MP12 area located VERY close to the Huron. This wreck is about 30 ft from the end of the pier, and lined up with the second house north of Bainbridge St.

(20 fsw) The Oriental is also known as the Boiler Wreck because the steam engine protrudes from the water and resembles a boiler. The wreck is located directly across from the Pea Island visitor center, about 100 yards out and lying perpendicular to the beach. Tides are particularly influential on this site because of its proximity to Oregon Inlet.

Rodanthe, located about 300 yards north of the fishing pier about 250 yards from the beach. It’s a long swim with the best route being to head straight from Holiday Blvd just a little north to line up between the blue and pink houses, farther than the end of the pier.

(15 fsw) At the end of Sand Street in Salvo. All that remains are the steam engine, shaft, and one of the hubs of the paddle wheel. The top of the engine and end of the paddle wheel shaft stick out of the water about 75 yards off shore. The best way to arrive at the wreck is going off Ramp 23 past Salvo and driving north up the beach until you see the wreck.

The SS Richmond was formerly the blockade runner Blenheim, built in 1848 by t Tod and MacGregor, in Glasgow, Scotland.  Blenheim served on the route from Belfast to Liverpool until 1863. New owners acquired her for running of the Union blockade and she made 4 trips between Nassau, Bahamas, and Wilmington, NC. On the night of January 24, 1865, on her fifth run of the blockade, the Blenheim steamed into the New Inlet near Fort Fisher. When dawn broke on the 25th, the crew of the Blenheim discovered they were surrounded by warships of the U S Navy. Fort Fisher had fallen to the Union days earlier, and US forces had continued to display night time signals from the top of the mound at Fort Fisher. The ruse worked, and the Blenheim was the final blockade runner captured in the Wilmington area. 

Blenheim was condemned as a prize of war, and purchased at auction by Jacob Brandt, of Baltimore MD, and he renamed the steamer SS Richmond. One year and a day after her capture, the ship was on the way from Savannah, GA to Baltimore, MD when she ran aground at Salvo, supposedly due to a faulty compass.

An unidentified wreck is located just to the north of the end of the fishing pier in Frisco, and about 300 yards off the beach. A pretty far swim, and requires further investigation. Depth thought to be 16 to 30 feet

Jetty rocks at the end of East Beach in Norfolk provide a habitat for marine life. The best time to go is at high tide with low wind the few days prior. DiveVB members have seen seahorses and sea turtles here. The jetty is a walk-in entry and goes to about 15 ft depth at its deepest point. You can follow the rocks swimming north and return coming south. Be wary that this site is frequented by fisherman and so snagged line and nets are often found.

Spearfishermen frequently hunt around the pilings of the CBBT. Visibility is low and current can be high, but fish and crustaceans can be found here.

Part of the Clythia used to sit emerged at low tide, but was broken apart in a storm. Although close to the beach, this is not really a shore dive since it's a 10 mile hike through the state park to reach it by foot. We did the hike carrying freedive gear once! Also known as the “Marble Wreck,” this wreck sits in 20 ft of saltwater and still contains its original cargo of tons of marble. Much easier to access via boat.

Rumor has it that two separate small craft wrecks sit just south of the Sandbridge pier in no more than 15 ft of water. Further investigation is ongoing.

Many wrecks are identified in historical records off the southern coast of Virginia. But who knows what remains? DiveVB members have also seen some wrecks on side-scan sonar. Warrants further underwater investigation.