USS Algol Wreck – New Jersey

Site Overview

USS Algol Wreck is one of New Jersey's most iconic offshore wreck dives featuring a massive cargo vessel resting at twenty-eight to forty meters depth supporting extraordinary cold-water marine communities including dense tautog populations, American lobsters, and seasonal spiny dogfish sharks. The wreck is part of New Jersey's extensive artificial reef program that has created some of the most productive wreck diving on the east coast with over two hundred artificial reef sites along the coastline. The cold north Atlantic waters support diverse invertebrate communities including colorful anemones, sponges, and sea stars that carpet the wreck surfaces creating vibrant underwater landscapes despite the challenging diving conditions. Summer months bring warmer water and cobia visitors while winter offers the clearest visibility for advanced divers willing to brave the cold temperatures. The wreck's massive scale provides multiple dive experiences from shallow superstructure exploration to deep penetration for qualified technical divers making it a destination that rewards repeated visits throughout the diving season. The wreck's position on the continental shelf receives influence from both the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current creating dynamic water conditions that support species from different ocean provinces on the same structure. New Jersey's artificial reef program is one of the oldest and most extensive in the United States providing decades of data about reef development and fish population dynamics that inform marine conservation efforts throughout the Atlantic region.