WIT Shoal Wreck

We went on our first wreck dive with our Advanced Dive class! It was such an awesome experience and I can't wait to get a chance to go back! Even though we were down there a little over 30 minutes, it went by so fast especially since it was my first time taking my new camera on a dive! Below is some info about the ship:

The WIT Shoal II / LST 467 is located a few miles southwest of the St. Thomas airport, near Saba Rock. The WIT Shoal was originally a warship, known as LST 467. LST stands for Landing Ship Tanks, and she was built in 1943 to land up to 20 Sherman tanks onto the beach in the Allied invasions of Europe and the Pacific during World War II. LSTs were designed to run right up onto the beach to land the tanks. The bow of the ship has large doors which open outward, and an inner door which lowers down to form a ramp for the tanks to drive onto the beach. LST 467 served in the Pacific during the war.

After the war this 328 foot long ship was purchased by the West Indies Transport company, and renamed the WIT Shoal II. She was used as a freighter until she sank in Tropical Storm Klaus, on November 6, 1984. Today the WIT Shoal is one of the premier diving wrecks of St. Thomas. The shipwreck sits upright in 90 feet of water, but the top of the observation tower is only 35 feet beneath the waves. There are 5 levels of decks for divers to explore.

Our Dive Instructor, Steve.

Tim, Grad Student Bryan, and Undergraduate Heather.