ShipwreckOceanSource Checked

NBM Dive Site Resource

Ario (Hutton-Ario)

Emerald Isle, North Carolina, United States

Broken-up tanker wreck identified by NOAA as Ario; locally also called Hutton or Hutton-Ario.

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Original NBM Artwork

Illustration — original NBM artwork of the tanker Ario; not a photograph.Naturally Buoyant Media original illustration · Naturally Buoyant Media original artworkSource ↗

WaterMarine

AccessOffshore boat dive. Use experienced North Carolina support or a properly equipped private vessel and independently verify the current site position; no operator connection is implied.

ExperienceNovice

Maximum depth70 feet

Best seasonSeasonal offshore access; warmer months are often favored, but every trip depends on weather and sea state.

VisibilityHighly variable with Gulf Stream position, tide, weather, sea state, plankton and bottom disturbance.

Aquatic life at this dive site

What divers may encounter

Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.

Seasonal wreck-associated encounter

Sand Tiger Shark

Carcharias taurus

The current operator profile reports sand tiger sharks at Ario, and NOAA research documents North Carolina shipwrecks as important sand tiger habitat. Encounters are most plausible during the regional dive season but are never guaranteed.

Naturally Buoyant Media

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Occasional large-shark encounter

Bull Shark

Carcharhinus leucas

Olympus Dive Center specifically reports that bull sharks are sometimes seen at Ario. Watch the surrounding water column and maintain calm, respectful distance; an encounter is occasional rather than expected.

Albert Kok at Dutch Wikipedia (Original text: albert kok)

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Likely schooling-wreck encounter

Atlantic Spadefish

Chaetodipterus faber

A current regional dive feature identifies Ario's established marine growth as attracting ample Atlantic spadefish. Divers may see slow-moving schools around the wreck, with numbers varying by season and conditions.

Brian Gratwicke

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Site media

Photographs

Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.

Contributor media

Dive videos

Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.

Dive-site video pending

Published reference location

Location map

The marker shows the public coordinates associated with this profile. Confirm current access, moorings, and departure details before the dive.

Published reference coordinates34.49897, -76.89784

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Map zoom level 1 of 11

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Recent field observations

Diver-reported temperatures

Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.

Automatically checked

No recent diver reports from the past 14 days

A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.

Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.

Why divers know this place

Highlights

Battle of the Atlantic or North Carolina maritime heritage wreck supporting offshore marine habitat.

Shipwreck-only module

The wreck

This section appears only on shipwreck records and brings the vessel, its loss, present condition, access, and responsible wreck-diving considerations into one place.

Plan the trip

Dive boats that visit this wreck

Beaufort, North CarolinaCaptain's LadyDiscovery Diving

Discovery Diving lists this wreck and advertises this boat in its charter fleet. Confirm your wreck itinerary, boat assignment, conditions and diver qualifications with the operator.

Open boat profile →Morehead City, North CarolinaMV Olympus — Morehead City and the Crystal Coast, North Carolina Dive CharterOlympus Dive Center

Olympus Dive Center lists this wreck in its current Half Day Shallow Dive Trip program and operates MV Olympus in the same charter fleet. The exact vessel and destination are assigned by the operator; confirm the scheduled boat and wreck before booking.

Open boat profile →Morehead City, North CarolinaMV Midnight Express — Morehead City and the Crystal Coast, North Carolina Dive CharterOlympus Dive Center

Olympus Dive Center lists this wreck in its current Half Day Shallow Dive Trip program and operates MV Midnight Express in the same charter fleet. The exact vessel and destination are assigned by the operator; confirm the scheduled boat and wreck before booking.

Open boat profile →Beaufort, North CarolinaOutrageous VDiscovery Diving

Discovery Diving lists this wreck and advertises this boat in its charter fleet. Confirm your wreck itinerary, boat assignment, conditions and diver qualifications with the operator.

Open boat profile →

Before you arrive

Access notes

NOAA source information is sufficient for this visibly unverified profile, but it is not a navigation plan. Confirm current coordinates, ownership/protection rules, weather, current, emergency procedures and ascent strategy. Treat military losses and fatalities as memorial sites; do not disturb or remove material. Map points are source-backed reference locations for discovery, not navigation.

Plan within your training

Conditions and hazards

Depth, current, rapidly changing visibility, waves, boat traffic, long offshore evacuation, entanglement, fishing gear, sharp or unstable wreckage and overheads. Penetration requires specific wreck/overhead training, redundancy and a suitable gas plan.

At the site

Facilities and support

No onsite facilities; all support is vessel-based. Confirm fills, oxygen, weather policy and emergency planning before departure.

Independent resource notice

This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.