Cape May Artificial Reef (1/3)

8.5 Nautical Miles off Cape May
Depth: 50-75 ft
Point Swift    Onondaga       Lisa Michelle  Rothenbach I   Red Oak        Miss Beth      Becky Lee      Wyoming        Heritage       Sea Transporter Cecilia Brown  Kings Point    Georgia Moran  Captain Henry  Johnny Buoy    Salt Barge     Cape Straight  Winthrop       Peggy Diana    Laita          Elizabeth      caisson
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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.


Becky Lee reef
Type:
artificial reef, clam dredge, USA
Built:
1968, Biloxi MS, as Big Bill
Specs:
( 85 x 23 ft )
Sponsor:
Cape May County Party & Charter Boat Association
Sunk:
Thursday July 25, 1991 - Cape May Artificial Reef
GPS:
38°53.110' -74°01.030'
Depth:
60 ft

Type:
artificial reef, drydock gate
Specs:
( 140' x 40' )
Sunk:
Thursday September 26, 2019 - Cape May Artificial Reef
Depth:
75 ft
GPS:
38°50.699' -74°43.023'

Cape Straight WPB-95308 reef
A "Cape"-class cutter at speed
Type:
artificial reef, cutter, US Coast Guard
Built:
1953 Curtiss Bay MD USA
Specs:
( 95 x 20 ft )
Sponsor:
USCG, New Jersey State Police
Sunk:
Thursday September 9, 1993 - Cape May Artificial Reef
GPS:
38°51.060' -74°42.125'
Depth:
65 ft

Captain Henry reef
"Captain Henry" - the bow ramp appears to have been welded up
Type:
artificial reef, LCM-6 (Landing Craft-Mechanized) used as buoy tender
Built:
1943 New Orleans LA USA
Specs:
( 56 x 14 ft ) 64 tons
Sponsor:
Bureau of Coastal Engineering, Fish America &
Cape May County Party & Charter Boat Association
Sunk:
Sunday May 6, 1990 - Cape May Artificial Reef
GPS:
38°51.200' -74°42.280'



Hooters reef
An undignified end for the sole remaining CRRNJ ferry Elizabeth
Type:
artificial reef, ferry, Central Railroad of New Jersey, USA
Name:
All CRRNJ ferries were named for New Jersey towns - Lakewood, Bound Brook, Red Bank, Plainfield, Elizabeth, Wilkes Barre, Cranford, Somerville, Westfield, and Bound Brook
Built:
1901 Wilmington DE USA, as Lakewood
Specs:
( 200 x 44 ft ) 1016 gross tons
Sponsor:
NJ Coast 2005 Initiative
Sunk:
Wednesday August 3, 2005 - Cape May Artificial Reef
GPS:
38°50.682' -74°43.078'
Depth:
75 ft



Cape May Artificial Reef

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Underwater photography can be as rewarding as it is challenging. Once the realm of professionals and determined enthusiasts willing to spend thousands of dollars on specialized and esoteric equipment, this hobby is now available to the rest of us thanks to modern developments in inexpensive but capable digital systems.

2016 Update

There is no hope of keeping up with camera technology. This page is more about basic principles than the actual equipment, which will all be obsolete in six months. Actually, strobe lights haven't changed that much.

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