Crystal Coast / Morehead City

Featured Spots

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  W.E. Hutton
  Fast Facts: Features: Need Gear? Download all Crystal Coast / Morehead City GPS Coordinates March of 1942 was a dangerous month for ships along the NC coast. German U-boats sank… Read more: W.E. Hutton
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  Suloide
  Fast Facts: Features: Need Gear? Download all Crystal Coast / Morehead City GPS Coordinates The freighter, Suloide, rests about a mile from the W.E. Hutton. On March 26, 1943, as… Read more: Suloide
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  Spar, U.S.C.G.
  Fast Facts: Features: Need Gear? Download all Crystal Coast / Morehead City GPS Coordinates The Spar was a working ship and served from Portsmouth, NH, to northeastern Maine maintaining navigational… Read more: Spar, U.S.C.G.
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  Papoose
  Fast Facts: Features: Need Gear? Download all Crystal Coast / Morehead City GPS Coordinates The Papoose was launched in 1927 by the Petroleum Navigation Company. The tanker transported gasoline between… Read more: Papoose

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North Carolina’s Crystal Coast includes the beautiful beaches of Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach and the historic cities of Beaufort and Morehead City. The area is well-known for fishing and scuba diving. The Cape Lookout National Seashore is home to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, historic Portsmouth Village, and sandy beaches popular for shelling. Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach has a Civil War era fort to explore. Atlantic Beach also has the North Carolina Maritime Museum and a newly renovated Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Crystal Coast diving is mostly shipwrecks and artificial reef structures. Spots are 15-40 miles from shore in open ocean near the Gulf Stream. The waters tend to be warm and clear with visibilities ranging from 50-100 feet. The most popular wrecks are ships sunk by German U-boats during World War II. The first U-boat that was sunk, known as U-352, is a very popular wreck. The wrecks offshore of Cape Lookout are in cooler waters that have lower visibilities, but this is where the sand tiger sharks hang out. The number of fish and marine life is often huge. Underwater photographers will love diving the Crystal Coast! Spearfishing and lobstering are allowed seasonally.