Delaware has quite an active Artificial Reef Program for such a small state. Most of its reefs are located in Delaware Bay and consist of concrete, rock, and rubble, not really of interest to divers. Three of the reefs, Numbers 9, 10, and 11, are in the ocean. Of these, Number 11 is of special interest, since, in addition to three "wrecks" and numerous Army tanks, it contains 619 Redbird subway cars - cars that New Jersey turned away. At least they didn't go very far - these cars were actually closer than some of the 250 that New Jersey eventually sank in our own reefs! Probably very little remains of any of these subway cars.
3 tugboats sunk in one day: ( front to back ) Fells Point, Cittie Pointe, and William C Snow
The Red Bird reef site was begun in 1996, taking its name as a derivation of the "Redbird" paint-schemed subway cars donated in 2001 by New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. To build the Red Bird Reef, 619 of the obsolete subway cars were sunk, each of them 51 feet long by nine wide, making a substantial bottom structure for an artificial reef.
All manner of concrete, steel, and stone rubble from dredging, demolition projects, and other construction is used as artificial reef materials. This material is generally available at very low cost or free from construction companies who are more than happy to get rid of it. Transportation costs determine where this material is used by the Reef Program.
~100 "Brightliner" subway cars - NYC Subway system
Built:
1963-1964 - Budd Company - Model R32 # 3350-3949
1966-1967 - St. Louis Car - Model R38 # 3950-4149
1967-1969 - St. Louis Car - Model R40 # 4150-4349
1969-1970 - St. Louis Car - Model R42 # 4550-4949
Specs:
( 60 x 10 ft ) 10 tons ( all, typical, body only )
Sunk:
44 cars were sunk on Atlantic City Reef on April 3, 2008
more in Cape May reef and Delaware reefs
Sponsor:
New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority ( MTA )
View of the up-river area, looking southeast. Either side is diveable upstream to the first road. The entry location is just to the right of the apartments.
Yet another place to dive the Shark River is on the south side, near the intersection of 1st Avenue and A Street, behind the apartments. There is limited but very convenient free parking. A small cement stairway leads down to a concrete ledge above the water. Climb down between the big rock and the bulkhead, where you will find more steps underwater. ( Whoever B.M and M.M. are - thank you! )