Sunken Texas Clipper Now An Artificial Reef

If you’re looking for that unique summer trip, it might be hard to beat one that rests on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Divers now have the opportunity to explore one of Texas’ most unusual attractions – an artificial reef that once served as a training ship for almost 30 years for cadets at Texas A&M University at Galveston.

The Texas Clipper, a 473-foot, 7,000-ton ship, was purposely sunk last Nov. 17 in the Gulf and today is home to a variety of fish and marine life as well as a frequent destination for scuba divers curious to go down 134 feet and see it. She rests about 17 miles off the coast of South Padre Island and is doing exactly what the folks at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hoped the sunken ship would do, says Kevin Buch, diving safety officer at Texas A&M-Galveston who has visited the reef several times.

“It’s a nice reef now and it should become even more beautiful over the next few years,” he notes.

“We work closely with researchers at the University of Texas at Brownsville who are currently monitoring the site, including conducting surveys of the fish community and of the organisms colonizing the ship. It’s going to be a great underwater habitat.”

The Texas Clipper had an eventful life.

Her life began as a World War II transport ship called the USS Queens and ferried wounded troops injured on the battlefield, including operations in the Pacific during the battle at Iwo Jima. When the war ended, the ship became the SS Excambion, serving as a luxury cruise liner and making frequent trips from New York City to the Mediterranean.

From 1965 to 1994, renamed the USTS Texas Clipper, she was used as the training ship for maritime cadets and students at Texas A&M-Galveston and served as a floating classroom around the world for students studying maritime sciences, oceanography and marine biology.

It took 10 years and $4 million to prepare the ship as an artificial reef, where today dozens of species of fish dart in and out of several large holes cut by workers to give both divers and fish additional routes of escape from the large ship.

In addition to carving the new holes in the ship, workers had to remove all pollutants and also had to cut off the ship’s mast to ensure that the highest point would be at least 50 feet under water.

Today, instead of providing a place for students to handle lines or studying marine biology on her decks, the Clipper is home to barnacles, sponges, clams and urchins while the occasional shark and sting ray zip by to check out the Gulf’s newest high rise. It’s more or less an underwater playground for both divers and fish.

Texas Parks and Wildlife officials believe the artificial reef will enhance the quality of marine habitat in the Gulf, eventually becoming a popular and vibrant diving destination. In addition, it should be an economic boost for businesses on nearby South Padre Island.

Buch says the water clarity varies depending on several conditions, and because of the depth of the reef, it’s recommended only for intermediate to experienced divers.

“The currents there are not too strong, but the depth might be a bit much for beginners,” he adds.

“We’ve seen numerous varieties of fish, such as amberjacks, groupers, red snappers and others. She is not too hard to find and there are buoys on the ship, one of them radar-reflecting to alert vessels nearby. As the Clipper continues to mature and develop, she should grow into a beautiful site.”

The Artificial Reef Act of 1990 directed Texas Parks and Wildlife to promote and enhance the artificial reef potential off the Texascoast.

For more information, go to http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/habitats/artificial_reef/.