Recreational Diver Survey of Historic NOAA Shipwreck

A team of NJ Divers, complimented with underwater remote sensing systems from Stockton College, descended 90 feet down to the shipwreck of the Robert J. Walker, a coastal survey vessel. Lost off Atlantic City in 1860, the vessel was an iron-hulled, steam powered, paddle wheeler. The Walker was part of what would become the U.S. Coast Survey (Predecessor to NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey). During her time the crew of the RJ Walker made over a half million water depth soundings along the U.S. East Coast. Struck by a wood coal schooner, she went down off Atlantic City, New Jersey with a loss of twenty sailors, She remains NOAA’s largest single loss of life to date. The shipwreck has been nominated and approved as a Historic National Landmark. NOAA wished to honor the crew and in doing so partnered with New Jersey wreck divers and the high tech gear of Stockton College to digitally preserve the wreck as she lies on the bottom. The expedition received Explorer’s Club Flag 132 which had previously gone to the Titanic and was onboard for the deep ocean recovery of the Apollo 11 rocket motors.

Capt Steve Nagiewicz, Dan Liebe and Vince Capone