Just 18 miles east of downtown Savannah, Tybee Island is an uninhabited barrier island ideal for scuba enthusiasts. Divers of all experience levels will enjoy exploring Tybee’s underwater world, which is teeming with marine life, wreck sites and artificial reefs. Explore on your own, or connect with a local charter for a guided tour if you desire a little navigation along the way.

Wreck Sites

History buffs can explore several Civil War wreck sites just off Tybee Island’s coast. In an attempt to create an obstruction, Union forces sunk three of their barks -- the Peter Demill, the Cossack and the South America -- by loading them down with tons of stone in early December 1861. In March 1864, the British schooner Arletta was run ashore during the night by the USS South Carolina near Tybee's southern tip while attempting to deliver coffee, alcohol and whiskey from the Bahamas. And the U.S. schooner Israel R. Snow was beached in December 1865 after the cargo caught fire.

Artificial Reefs

Artificial reefs off the coast of Georgia include army tanks, subway cars and parts of an old Savannah bridge. Artificial reefs are necessary because the ocean floor is too sandy for natural reefs to grow enough to support a thriving marine underworld. Once in place, however, the artificial reefs such as the concrete pipes and deck barge sunk off the coast of Tybee Island create habitats for many species of fish, including Atlantic spadefish and barracudas. A little farther off the coast of Tybee Island and about nine nautical miles southeast of Wassaw Island, Artificial Reef KC consists of nearly a dozen relics now providing a home for fish, mollusks and coral. Directly south of the KC buoy is the Motherlode barge, and just northeast of it is the Honey barge.

Equipment

It is best to gather supplies in Savannah before traveling to Tybee Island, considering the limited scuba equipment available on the island. Both Fantasia Scuba (fantasiascuba.com) and Diving Locker Ski Chalet (divinglockerskichalet.com) in Savannah can outfit divers with the necessary gear. Common pieces of equipment such as weight belts, wet suits and buoyancy compensators can be rented by the day. Fantasia Scuba has both air and nitrox tanks, as well as regulators both with and without compass.

Charters

Divers who don't have their own boats can charter one from a local company. Mako Dive Charter (makodivecharter.com) offers an offshore Savannah diving trip for advanced divers that visits many spots along the Tybee Island coastline. Mako, in partnership with Diving Locker Ski Chalet, also provides basic scuba instruction for novice divers. Barnacle Bill’s Deep Sea Fishing (savannahdeepseafishing.50megs.com) will take up to four divers with a dive guide out for the day to explore the reefs.

Considerations

Choose locations farther offshore for better visibility. Sea conditions and tides tend to kick up the sandy ocean bottom. Also, keep in mind that the artificial reefs were sunk primarily to increase fish population for anglers. Over time, they, along with the wreck sites, can become unstable and could collapse while you are exploring, so take care while diving.

About the Author

Jennifer Maxwell is a North Carolina based writer. She received her bachelor's degree from UNC-Greensboro, and has taken master's level courses at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. With 10 years of professional writing experience, she has written on topics ranging from energy to entertainment, religion to travel. Her work has appeared on Eclecticcuts.com, CollegePress.com, as well as in regional print publications.

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