Scuba Diving in Cyprus with Easy Divers Protaras.| Padi Scuba Diver Courses | Diving Internship | Padi Instructor Development Course Cyprus | Zenobia Wreck Cyprus|

The breathtakingly enormous Spiegel Grove — nearly two football fields long — is the “grande dame” of Key Largo wrecks. As you descend on the 510-foot Grove, you get a dreamlike view of a wreck that appears to be cruising in the deep blue ocean depths, and in that moment, you know this will be a special dive.

If you’ve come to Key Largo to dive, you’ve come to the right place. The beauty of this dive destination is its easy access to island living and 70 underwater sites. As the dive capital of the world, Key Largo has an abundance of colorful reefs and is a wreck mecca for divers of all levels.

But it’s the Spiegel Grove — a former Landing Ship Dock — that anchors Key Largo’s reputation as a wreck lover’s paradise and captures divers’ imaginations. She’s an Everest of sorts — not a wreck whose entirety can be experienced all at once. Instead, navigate a section per dive, starting with the top deck. Toward the stern, midnight parrotfish patrol the former helicopter landing pad, gun turrets and two crane arms. Take your time, then fin back to the wheelhouse, shrouded by schooling fish. You’ll gain just enough of an understanding of Spiegel Grove’s layout to plan dive two — perhaps the first of many return visits.

Sunk in June 2002, the Grove’s original battleship-gray paint job has given way to a furry coat of corals and marine-life growth. Barracuda, horse-eye jacks and silversides make her their home base.

Offshore, Key Largo has quick access to shallow, beginner-friendly reefs and wrecks like S.S. Benwood. It’s also home to the nation’s first underwater state park, John Pennekamp State Park, as well as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary where you can snorkel alongside the Christ of the Deep statue.

The U.S.S. Spiegel Grove is one of 12 wrecks in the Wreck Trek program. Click here for more details on how to become a Florida Keys Wreck Treker. Browse our list of dive operators below to book your next trip.

Tanya Burnett

Shipwreck fanatic (aka metal head) Robert Purifoy talks wreck diving.

Shipwrecks are magnetic to divers. Mysterious, poignant and sometimes haunting, sunken ships have compelled humankind since we first figured out a way to breathe underwater. There’s something seductive about the hidden treasures they harbor in their rusty bellies, and some of the world’s most popular dive destinations owe their fame to wrecks.

From the historic warships of Chuuk Lagoon, Palau, Bikini Atoll and the Scapa Flow to the man-made attractions of the Florida Keys, New Zealand, Grand Cayman and Australia, the draw of artificial reefs is global. But sunken ships pose unique challenges to divers, including the potential for entanglement in fishing line, laceration by sharp metal or becoming lost deep in their bowels. Specific training and equipment are prudent when attempting any wreck dive, and there’s no quick and easy substitute for experience.

Robert Purifoy of Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, North Carolina, has been intrigued by shipwrecks since before he was old enough to become certified. As the son of North Carolina pioneer George Purifoy, who was instrumental in discovering such famous regional sites as the U-352 and the USS Schurz, he started working on dive boats at age 10, earned his instructor rating in 1990, and now runs charters as captain of the 65-foot Olympus.

“The older shipwrecks that were true warships and have a history are fascinating to me,” says Purifoy. “Other wrecks I like for the marine life that congregates around them. Artificial or historic — every wreck has its own unique appeal.”

His backyard on the fabled Outer Banks of North Carolina boasts wrecks sunk on purpose and by tragic events, and offers a variety of challenges, from depth to size, condition and beyond.

“The U-352 is my favorite wreck, for sure. It’s easy to navigate and one of those bucket-list dives because of the history,” Purifoy says. “Another favorite is one of the newer ships that was sunk as an artificial reef, the USCGC Spar, because it’s got a lot of relief, sits close to the Gulf Stream for consistent good visibility, and is usually inhabited by quite a few sand tiger sharks.”

It’s a world-class training ground for wreck divers— here are four choice lessons from Purifoy’s logbook.

PREPARE FOR ACTION

Wreck diving can become complicated and strenuous. Before your next expedition (or local artificial reef ) consider the added benefit of taking a specialty course, having your gear serviced and increasing your normal workout.

“A little preparation goes a long way, and training is the first step,” Purifoy says. “We always recommend that people come out early and do a shallow warm-up dive to make sure they have their weight right, their computer is working properly, and there’s nothing else that might cause them to miss the dive. There’s nothing more disappointing than making it to that bucket-list wreck dive and everything goes as planned except for you.”

LEARN THE HISTORY

Finding out the layout and back story of a sunken ship can aid in navigation, clue you in to cool features and create a deeper appreciation for what you’re experiencing. Purifoy says your best source for information is always the local dive professionals, who have likely explored most every inch of the wrecks in their region.

“Knowing the history of the ship makes it come alive,” says Purifoy. “Beyond that, it helps you to set goals or objectives for your dive. Otherwise, you might surface and hear everyone else on the boat saying, ‘Wow, did you see that big propeller?’ And you’re thinking, ‘What propeller?’”

CONSERVE THE KICKS

Although there’s no substitute for proper buoyancy (which should be perfected before attempting a penetration), inside a wreck (after the proper training), limiting the amount of kicking you do will decrease the risk of a siltout or debris falling from an overhead environment.

“When penetrating a wreck that has a good water flow and visibility, I use a pull-and-glide technique as opposed to kicking,” says Purifoy. “It’s a technique that cave divers often use where you reach out and carefully take a handhold to give yourself a pull and just glide. If it’s a tight space where there’s not a lot of water moving, I use a very careful frog kick.”

TAKE THE RIGHT TOOLS

The rigors of wreck diving require specialized gear to solve specific problems. Packing along a bright light to illuminate the dark corners, a clean slate to diagram structural features, a reel and line to mark your path through winding corridors, and a sharp cutting tool to shred potential entanglements can increase your safety and enjoyment.

“With the proper training, I recommend a stage bottle, especially for penetration,” Purifoy says. “In addition, I recommend a dual-outlet-valve system where you have two first stages, so if you were to have a hose get cut or break, you could turn one of those valves off and still have a fully independent scuba unit to complete your dive.” His redundancy strategy can be carried over into other accessories as well, from dive computers to torches. “I always dive with at least two computers, or at least a computer and a secondary timing device,” says Purifoy. “And keep in mind that your backup light needs to be as good as your primary light because it may become your primary light.”

GEAR SOLUTIONS

The right tools — including a multipurpose cutting tool—increase your safety when wreck diving.

CRESSI ALLIGATOR

Courtesy Cressi

This clever unit combines the strength of a knife with the utility of scissors in a single compact package (6.5 inches in length) that can fit comfortably inside most BC pockets. For added function, the blade is serrated to increase its bite and the shears are spring-loaded for easy use with gloves. Plus, it’s built from corrosion-resistant stainless steel, offers rubber handle inserts to ensure a positive grip, and stows neatly into a low-profile molded sheath.

MSRP $74.95; INFO cressiusa.com

Gabriel Barathieu

Hai Siang Shipwreck

This secret wreck dive is located just off the coast of Reunion Island.

HAI SIANG WRECK

Of the western coast of Reunion Island, the Hai Siang shipwreck lies nearly 200 feet below the surface.

Formerly an illegal fishing vessel, the 196-foot Formosan boat was seized and sunk as an artificial reef in 1980. Since then, it has become rife with marine life, including eagle rays, mola mola, sea turtles, and hard and soft corals.

To capture this image, I used an ultra-wide-angle lens and positioned myself in front of the bow. I deliberately turned of my strobe to create the shot I was looking for.

Click here for more scuba diving secret spots, and make sure to check out the rest of 11th annual photo contest winners!

This shark dive began with no chum, no briefing on kneeling on the sand. Ninety feet down on the SS Papoose, as six sand tiger sharks surround me, I realize I need to toss out everything I know about shark behavior — and I’m stoked.

Sand tigers are one of the biggest reasons to drive to Morehead City, located roughly midway south along North Carolina’s coast. The others: the U-352, a German submarine at 115 feet, and 20 or so additional wrecks, cruising grounds for the sharks found here year-round thanks to a couple of factors, notably the colliding Labrador and Gulf Stream currents. These supply a steady stream of nutrients and make it nearly impossible to predict dive conditions. The crew at Olympus Dive Center — the biggest scuba operator in town — is used to starting days with perfect forecasts and fat seas, only to be running from threatening skies and 5-foot waves by lunch time. You’ll see this variability in the water too — you can have 80 feet of visibility at one site and 40 at a site less than a mile away.

Finding the sharks is a similar gamble. There could be 100 or zero on wrecks like the Papoose, USCGC Spar, SS Caribsea and USS Aeolus — the hit list for our wreck shootout, a five-day photography competition organized by Mike Gerken, a shooter and former boat captain for Olympus, which hosts the competition. And the only way to tell where the sharks are is to drop in or radio another dive boat in the area to ask for a shark report.

Today, we’ve started out lucky: sunny skies, fat seas and a handful of sand tigers on the first dive. At depth, I understand why North Carolina is rumored to be a favorite location of National Geographic photographer David Doubilet. The distance — two-hour boat rides are common — limits runoff and the number of day boats; the reward is fish schools in numbers that far outrank other East Coast destinations.

And they’re what I notice first. Like the spinning clouds that surround the Peanuts character Pigpen, mini tornadoes of cigar minnows surround every sand tiger. Each baitfish reflects the sunlight in a different direction, creating the effect of a disco ball rolling toward you.

But what puzzles me about the sand tigers is how they glide — they barely swim. They move nothing like Caribbean reef sharks. Or bulls. Or oceanic whitetips. Other sharks never stop moving, but thanks to a makeup that does not require speed to oxygenate their systems, as many shark species do, sand tigers swim in low gear. They’re slow. Lumbering. And although I’m sticking to shark-diving basics such as keeping my arms at my sides, I’m finding I can swim much closer; these sharks don’t spook easily. Because there was no bait, I don’t have to stay in one spot to be near the action. I’m as close as my fins will carry me.

The interaction allows for extended eye contact. Time to appreciate the uneven rows of curved teeth beckoning toward the back of their gullets. Where the Caribbean reef shark appears more well mannered, with its mouth nearly shut, just the hint of teeth visible, this mess of points — an aw-shucks underbite — seems somehow more menacing. And yet, this species hasn’t been involved in any human fatalities.

On dive two, the boat relocates to the nearby Spar. This 180-foot buoy-tender-cum-artifcial-reef would be a curious enough attraction for any underwater tour, but it’s the big fish we’re after. The way the water flows along the bow attracts the sharks, so all the divers concentrate here at this stretch, a catwalk for 12 that strut up and down this corridor. It’s a bit of a cluster as photographers take turns swimming with a different shark to get a shot, but the overlap is nothing like the limited space found along the horseshoe shape that defines most shark dives.

The following day, we target the Atlas, a 430-foot tanker sunk by torpedo in 1942. The crew moors to the bow, where there sits a boxlike structure described as a rusted-out skyscraper of sorts. The rest of the ship would also be of interest to the metal-inclined, but we stick to this structure — because the sharks do.

As we drop into the intersection of their traffic, I’m reminded of what Gerken had said on the surface.

“It’s not so much that these sharks come close to you as you’re in their territory.”

Their territory extends to the ship’s interior cavities, which I find as I drop down into one. The room is maybe 25 feet by 25 feet, and yet a sand tiger and I manage to swim circles around each other in these tight confines.

Because there are 23 sand tigers at this location, we unanimously decide to stay here for the second dive. After all, when you’re shark diving in the wild, you have to consider hopping between wrecks much like one would with house parties: Never leave for a new party when you’re already at one that’s going off.

ITINERARY NORTH CAROLINA

Day One

Check in at the Hampton Inn Morehead City, which includes free breakfast, or the more affordable Olympus Dive Center Dive Lodge two blocks from the shop, with space to host 32 in five shared rooms. After you settle in, have an early supper at Channel Marker restaurant on the Atlantic Beach Causeway. Watch boats cruising under the bridge while you tuck into dishes like crabcakes or she-crab soup with sherry; the crab-stufed founder in a creamy mustard sauce is decadent, yet not a gut bomb.

Day Two

The dive day starts at 6 a.m. at Olympus Diving. Make sure you’ve packed breakfast, and a cooler with a sandwich, snacks and drinks for the long day on the water; you’ll also want a hat and sunscreen to take advantage of the ship’s sun deck. The boat typically returns around 3 or 4 p.m. If you can, nap before dinner at Floyd’s 1921. Dine inside for a more upscale selection of eats, such as plank-roasted salmon. Head to the patiofor casual dining, including tapas, and live music on most Sunday and Monday evenings.

Day Three

Spend another day on the water — you’ll be happy that you did. Afterward, as your gear dries, enjoy time on the sand at Atlantic Beach. Fort Macon State Park is 10 minutes by car from Morehead City; learn the interesting role it played in Civil War-era North Carolina and beyond. If you have time for one last meal before starting the return trip, try City Kitchen in the Town Creek Marina for seafood with a twist. Menu highlights include fish and chips with malt vinegar aioli and shrimp ravioli.

NEED TO KNOW

When To Go Olympus Dive Center operates charters year-round; summer brings warmer water, and thus a greater demand for diving —boats depart daily. The rest of the year, charters are weekends only. The next North Carolina Wreck and Shark Shootout is June 2-5, 2016 (evolutionunderwater.com).

Dive Conditions Conditions in North Carolina can vary wildly day to day. Visibility can jump from 30 to 80 feet within days. In the summer, expect water temperatures in the high 70s; come winter, water temps fall to the mid-50s.

Operators Olympus Dive Center (olympusdiving.com) is located waterfront in Morehead City; its dock is just outside the shop’s door. Nitrox is available for certifed divers.

Click here for more Drive and Dive adventures!