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With a locum assignment in the Caribbean comes an opportunity to combine diving with Naval history for a unique experience at the Kittiwake Shipwreck and Artificial Reef.
This underwater attraction is new to the Caribbean, having just opened at the beginning of 2011. Before the USS Kittiwake was sunk on January 5, it served as a Navy submarine rescue vessel. The ship was launched in 1945 and decommissioned in 1994. Over the course of its lengthy career, the Kittiwake had many missions, including the recovery of the Challenger space shuttle’s black box.
The ship was sunk to create an artificial reef that divers and snorkelers could explore. You don’t have to venture too far underwater to find the wreck, as it
rests just 15-feet below the surface.
When you snorkel over the Kittiwake, you can appreciate the ship from afar or take a closer look and peek inside its smoke stack. If you're an experienced diver, explore the five decks and many rooms that make up this 47-foot tall vessel, which is slowly transforming into an artificial reef.
Also, check out this video of the official sinking of the USS Kittiwake.