Join Blue Planet for 4 days of world-class wreck diving off the coast of North Carolina. Swirling schools of silvery fish and docile sand tiger sharks await you. We’ll be diving from Morehead City, which is conveniently located and has access to wrecks famous for sand tiger sightings.

North Carolina

Scuba diving in North Carolina is truly an incredible experience. Fed by the warm, clear waters of the Gulfstream, it offers incredible visibility and comfortable temperatures making NC Diving top-rated by scuba enthusiasts and dive publications. North Carolina is referred to as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” – more than 2,000 ships have sunk in these waters since people began keeping records in 1526, and Olympus Dive Center knows the best wrecks to dive off the coast of North Carolina!

The Diving

Minimum dive certification/experience:  As most dive sites are between 90-120 feet, Advanced Open Water Diver and Enriched Air/Nitrox are required. Deep Diver certification preferred (we can do it on the trip).

• A minimum of 25 logged dives. 
• At least 2 dives in the ocean to 70 feet or greater.
• At least 2 logged boat ocean dives.
• At least 2 dives in the last 12 months.
• Minimum age for Full Day Dive Trip is 15 years of age.
• For divers who are close to but do not meet all of the requirements, in some cases the NC shop will allow you to hire one of their Divemaster Dive Guides.  

Please note that these minimum dive requirements are set by the NC dive shop, not by us, so if you have any questions or doubts that you qualify, please contact them directly!

Wreck Diving: Some of the most impressive wrecks are the World War II casualties - vessels fallen prey to Hitler's U-boat fleet as they traversed the offshore waters, including tankers, cargo ships, British fishing trawlers, and even German submarines. You can also find a World War I gunboat, a late 18th-century schooner, an early 20th-century luxury liner as well as a number of vessels sunk purposefully as artificial reefs. 

Sharks: North Carolina is fortunate to be a breeding ground for the Atlantic sand tiger shark. An impressive-looking but docile shark, sand tiger encounters are common occurrences in offshore waters. Often present in large numbers, the sharks range in size from four to over eight feet long! Sand tigers typically swim with their mouths open, smiling for photos, and proudly displaying three rows of ferocious teeth. Learn more about these fascinating animals and the threats they face; take the AWARE Shark Conservation Specialty on the trip!

Marine Life: The wrecks are the homes to an abundant variety of marine life. Rays the size of small cars, Loggerhead turtles nestled into the corner of a wreck taking 40 winks, octopus, eels, and massive schools of fish! Wrecks provide vital habitat for numerous species of fish, coral, and invertebrate marine life. You can get so much more out of these dives when you take the AWARE Fish ID Specialty with a focus on the South Atlantic States on the trip!

Macro: Who loves looking for the little stuff? We do! The wrecks contain loads of little critters and a keen eye will find you numerous small treasures including Seaweed Blennies, Sea Spiders, Nudibranchs, juvenile tropicals and that is just to get you started. Bring your Macro lenses and/or magnifying glass and prepare to be delighted with the intricate beauty of these little critters.  

Travel & Lodging

Transportation and accommodations are not included in the price of the trip. However, we’re happy to help arrange carpools! We’ll be heading down Thursday, August 1 and returning on Monday, August 5.

Here are options for accommodation:

• Bask Hotel, 252-499-9200 (ask for the Olympus Dive Center rate)
• Hampton Inn, 252-240-2300 (Olympus Dive Center corporate rate: $92 per room/night + tax)
• Olympus Dive Center’s The Dive Lodge ($45 per person/night + tax)
• Check out the full list of options on Olympus's website

Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a cancellation fee of $250 and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 

Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information.