More descriptions coming soon.  In the meantime, Roderick Farb's book Shipwrecks: Diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic (Menasha Ridge Press: Birmingham 2d ed. 1985) is a good resource.  We can run to any of the wrecks he lists in his New River Inlet and Cape Fear sections.

Gill (WR 4).  The tanker the John D. Gill was torpedoed on March 12, 1942 by the German U-Boat the U-158.  She sank in 90 feet of water about 22 miles from Carolina Beach Inlet.  It is only 60 feet to the deck of the wreck, making this a good dive for beginning wreck divers and any diver wanting the longer bottom times a shallower dive provides.  Farb says this about the dive:  "The tropical marine life on the ship is fantastic.  Among the many species at the site are slipper lobsters, moray eels, blue angelfish, butterflyfish, anemones, corals, and sponges.  Barracudas can be seen on just about any dive, and occasionally a sand tiger shark or two may be present.  Amberjacks are often in the vicinity of the wreck, while sea turtles, manta rays, and mackerels are less common.  The corals, sponges, seafans, and sea whips make the Gill a naturalist's paradise."   p. 260.   The Gill is relatively intact, adding to the impact of the wreck.   This is a great dive, highly recommended.

Frying Pan Tower.  This is a fabulous dive.  One of the greybeards of diving in NC called this "the best, least-dived site in NC."  The depth at the Tower is only about 45 feet to the bottom, and the abundance and variety of fish on the site is unparalleled.  It is a long boat ride, but our ride from Carolina Beach is the shortest available to the Tower, other than perhaps from Southport.  The tower itself is an interesting thing to see, also.

Cassimir.  Farb:  "One of the top five dives off the North Carolina Coast."  p. 235. This wreck sits further offshore than any of the other wrecks we regularly visit.  It has an abundance of tropical life.  In February 1942, she was a tanker carrying a load of molasses from the Carribean to Maryland when she was sunk by a collision with another vessel-both vessels running quiet and fast to avoid U-Boats.  401 ft long, 5030 tons.

Esso Nashville.  Farb:  "One of the prettiest of wrecks, it terms of marine life present at the site, and one of the most interesting, because of the access into the voluminous bow . . . ."  p. 243.

Normania.  Farb:("Diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic") says: "This wreck is one of the top five off the coast of North Carolina."  p. 246.  Far enough offshore to get very interesting sea life, including Lionfish.  The Normannia is a 312 ft, 2600 ton freighter that foundered and went down in January 1924.  Most of the structure is collapsing on itself.  I've seen some of the biggest lobster I've ever seen on this wreck.  110-115 feet deep.  

Frying Pan Shoals.

Lobster Wreck.

Hyde and Markham.

Dredge wreck.

Peterhoff.

Alexander Ramsey (Liberty Ship)

City of Houston.  An amazing dive.  She is an ironclad steamer that went down in a storm in 1878.  Artifacts still being found on her, as the sands shift and reveal new areas.  Clear water, dense schools of fish, just fabulous.  My favorite dive, and probably the favorite of nearly everyone who's been there.  The divers always choose to stay and dive her twice instead of moving on to another site.  Only her skeleton remains.  95 feet of water.  A very long ride to get there, but well worth it.  

Ledges, pinnacles, spires, hard bottom.