Shinnecock Artificial Reef

Shinnecock Artificial Reef (historical)
( 40.80139, -72.47293 )

2.0 Nautical miles south of Shinnecock Inlet, 0.55 sq miles
Depth: 76 - 84 ft

"unknown" is described as a 46' steel hull

Shinnecock Artificial Reef (now)

Shinnecock Reef was originally very small, but has been expanded greatly. The pink region is the historical area, and the blue region is the new deployment zone, while the full permitted size of the reef is a 1-nm square that encloses the deployment zone.

Shinnecock Artificial Reef

  • Asylum is described as a 60' steel vessel, sunk 2025.
  • "unknown" is described as a 46' steel hull pleasure craft, sunk 1987.

In the old version of the website, I had the names Marlu and Maroca recorded for this reef. When I got the new photos of most of the reefs, Maroca became apparent - it is spray-painted on the transom of the vessel. Marlu was harder, but I think I have that one figured out as well - New York lists it as a 70' vessel without a name. I also had a second drydock at Fire Island that I think belongs here. New York's reef program was moribund for so long that the records are unclear.

Reef site coordinates differ from NOAA Navigational Charts.

old side-scan sonar image of Shinnecock Reef, click to enlarge

Note the remains of the drydock at lower-left, the square lighthouse at top-center, with Marlu and Mandy Ray to the right. The freckles at the upper-left are Army tanks.






M60 tanks reef
M60 tanks undergo a thorough cleaning before use as reefs

The Artificial Reef Program used four types of obsolete Army armored vehicles as artificial reef materials off the New Jersey coast. These were cleaned at local military bases, loaded onto barges for transport, and pushed off at their final destination. Once the Army had disposed of its excess inventory, the program ceased, around 1999. The Artificial Reef Program has sunk almost 400 tanks altogether, far too many to list them here in this website.



Don't know how I missed this, but back in August, Stu retired and sold Dutch Springs to a developer who plans to put two warehouses on the property:

click to enlarge

As you can see, one warehouse fills the small wooded area (lower-left) that was basically unused, while the other obliterates the entire area between the quarry and the road. This leaves no room for parking or facilities. The property is approximately 95 acres, but more than half of that is water.

Sad, but Stu built the place and ran it for 40 years, and he has a right to retire. As we all know, anything having to do with diving brings insurance into the mix, and thus far no other solution has been found.

The quarry will be fenced-off, and Dutch Springs will enter the history books.