The CaribSea

The Caribsea was sailing alone en route from Santiago, Cuba to Norfolk, VA. with a cargo of manganese. At 0200 EWT, she was struck by two torpedoes on the starboard side. The first hit the #2 hold and the second hit amidships. The ship sunk in less than 3 minutes. The crew was unable to launch of the ship's lifeboats and jumped overboard. Only 7 of the 28 member crew managed to cling to wreckage and survive the 10 hours in the water before they were picked up by the freighter SS Norlindo. They were taken towards Cape Henry, VA before being transferred to a Coast Guard boat. Two months later, the Norlindo was sunk near the Dry Tortugas by the U-507.

Because it is relatively small and the wreckage is contiguous from bow-to-stern, the Caribsea is an easy wreck to navigate on-- even in the worst visibility! The boilers, engine and bow are the highest and most notable sites on the wreck. This wreck is one of the best for marine life. It is often covered up with bait which attracts sharks, amberjacks and other large predators. Visit the bow while you still can, because it won't remain standing for long. The beams supporting the upper deck have given way and the deck, with its heavy anchor windlass, has been dropping and twisting to star board ever since 1993. The storms of late 1994 caused more significant damage. The upper decking is now almost completely gone. The windlass has twisted and dropped even further and has dragged the port anchor on to what used to be the upper deck.