USS Blenny SS-324
- Type:
- shipwreck, Balao ( modified Gato ) class submarine, U.S. Navy
- Built:
- 1944, Groton, CT USA
- Specs:
- ( 312 x 27 ft ) 1810 tons, no crew
- Sunk:
- Wednesday June 7, 1989
artificial reef - Depth:
- 70 ft
The Blenny doesn't really belong here, since she is actually sunk off Ocean City Maryland, several hours drive south ( occasionally wrongly reported as Ocean City NJ. ) She lies on her starboard side, completely intact, with several large holes cut in her deck. Unlike some old submarine wrecks, which honestly resemble sewer pipes more than ships, the Blenny retains her shape and character and makes an interesting dive if you are ever down that way.
Old Ships Make New Homes For Fish
Old vessels make excellent artificial reefs. They provide high profile structure for pelagic fish, low profile structure for demersal fish, as well as surface area for the attachment of mussels, barnacles, tubeworms, and other food organisms. Shipwrecks have been the basis for the state's bottom fisheries which feature sea bass, tautog, ling, cod, and pollock. and for recreational scuba diving activities. The New Jersey coast has a large number of shipwrecks, estimates range from 500 to 3,000. These wrecks are the result of 200 years of maritime disasters and enemy submarine operations during World Wars I and II.
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Lester Scrivnor:
October 31, 2024 at 6:01 pm
My name is Les scrivnor, I've made about 8 or 10 dives on the Blenny, first one about 1 week after it was sank. Great spear fishing, I'm now 87, no more scuba for me, enjoyed every minute of it.