Date: April 12, 2018
On April 12, 2018 we explored the wreckage of the shipwreck, New Hope. Looming out of the gloom in the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico, the tug New Hope appears as a long-forgotten crumbling relic. With the bow riding proud and a towering smoke stack, the tug sits on the seafloor as if still making way to the next port. Humble, yet powerful, tugs provide aid to vessels in distress, tow barges to move commodities to markets, and assist ships entering and leaving ports. New Hope, which was sunk during Tropical Storm Debbie in September 1965, is a well-preserved example of this vessel class.
During the dive, the team conducted a partial mapping survey of the bow and forward superstructure of the wreck. The remotely operated vehicle pilots surveyed the wreck in a pattern that lends itself to making 3D images of the wreck directly from the video. The dive concluded with visual reconnaissance of the stern of the vessel. In addition to surveying the wreck, many organisms were observed, including sponges, squat lobsters, cutthroat eels, squid, batfish, sea cucumbers, urchins, and morel.