← Return to Favorite Dive Summary
Return to Explore Dive Sites← Back to dive site search
SaltwaterOceanShipwreckSource Checked

NBM Dive Site Resource

USS Murphy (DD-603) Bow Section

Offshore Point Pleasant, New Jersey, United States

The lost bow section of destroyer USS Murphy, separated in a 1943 collision with tanker Bulkoil, rests far offshore in deep water and is an advanced technical wreck and memorial site.

Save this dive site to your free member profile.

Historic Photograph

Historic U.S. Navy photograph of USS Murphy (DD-603) underway in 1942.
USS Murphy (DD-603) underway in mid-1942 in Camouflage Measure 12 (Modified). This photograph depicts the actual vessel.U.S. Navy photograph, via Wikimedia Commons. · Public domain — U.S. Navy workSource ↗
WaterMarine
AccessSpecialist technical charter or expedition access only. Obtain the target from qualified surface support and observe all U.S. Navy, maritime and archaeological protections.
ExperienceExtreme technical trimix/CCR wreck divers with expedition support
Maximum depthApproximately 260 ft / 79 m; confirm current bottom depth and relief with the operator.
Best seasonWeather- and charter-dependent offshore season.
VisibilityHighly variable Mid-Atlantic visibility, current and sea conditions.

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.

Profile connection reserved

Aquatic life research in progress

NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.

Profile connection reserved

Aquatic life research in progress

NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.

Profile connection reserved

Aquatic life research in progress

NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.

Site media

Photographs

Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending

Contributor media

Dive videos

Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.
Dive-site video pending
Dive-site video pending
Dive-site video pending

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.

Diver field observation

Report temperatures

Reports publish automatically when the date, depths, and temperatures pass the checks. You must be signed in to submit.

Depth readings

Why divers know this place

Highlights

Forward section of the Benson-class destroyer lost after the 21 October 1943 collision; later identified by a team including Richie Kohler.

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.

Vessel type
Benson-class destroyer bow section
Protection or memorial status
Historic U.S. naval wreck and memorial site; confirm current U.S. Navy and archaeological requirements

Before you arrive

Access notes

The exact position is intentionally withheld. The site contains the lost forward section and should be approached as a memorial; do not disturb or remove material.

Plan within your training

Conditions and hazards

Extreme depth, decompression, current, cold water, low visibility, entanglement, fishing gear, unstable wreckage and overheads. No artifact recovery.

At the site

Facilities and support

No onsite facilities; support is vessel-based with appropriate gases, redundant systems, communications and evacuation planning.

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.