On a calm day in 1996, I photographed the deliberate sinking of an old tugboat off the New Jersey coast—a vessel dedicated to Captain Greg A. Venturo. These frames capture both the mechanics of reef building and the people who showed up to honor a well-known local captain and diver. I was a cameraman/editor on his fishing show The SportFishing Journal, that aired on some local NJ stations.

Want to see what it looks like on the bottom of the ocean? Check out Herb Segars Blog Post on The Venturo Tug from 2009.

Where the wreck is

The G.A. Venturo—a 99-foot former Navy tug—was placed on the Sea Girt Artificial Reef, about 3.5 nautical miles off the Jersey Shore near Point Pleasant/Manasquan Inlet. State reef records list the deployment on October 17, 1996, with coordinates recorded at 40°07.510’ N, 073°56.470’ W. Sponsors listed with the tug include Sean Mowbray and the Fishermen’s Conservation Organization (FCO). NJ.gov

Divers know the site simply as the “Venturo Tug.” It sits upright in roughly 80 feet of water, with the main deck around 65 feet, making it an accessible training and recreational dive when visibility cooperates. X-Ray International Dive Magazine

Why sink old ships at all?

New Jersey’s Artificial Reef Program (run by the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife) places durable, cleaned materials—ships, barges, concrete, rock—on selected sandy bottoms to create hard-substrate habitat, increase marine life, and support recreational fishing and diving. NOAA and NJDEP describe artificial reefs as tools that add structure where little exists, providing spawning/refuge/feeding areas and, when sited and managed well, enhancing fish communities and local coastal economies. NJSL Digital CollectionsNJDEP+1National Ocean ServiceNCCOS

In short: an old steel tug becomes new habitat—blackfish (tautog), sea bass, and other species soon make it home—while also giving anglers and divers a reliable piece of structure to visit. The Fisherman

About Captain Greg A. Venturo

The tug’s name honors Captain Greg A. Venturo, remembered on the Jersey Shore as a charter captain, wreck-fishing expert, outdoor writer/filmmaker, and co-founder of the Fishermen’s Conservation Organization (FCO). He died in a diving accident, and the Sea Girt tug was dedicated to his memory. He authored How to Fish Wrecks, Lumps & Rock Piles for The Fisherman Library (1995), a title that still circulates in club libraries and tackle-shop lore. NJ.govThe FishermanVillage Harbour Fishing Club

The day in pictures

  • In my frames, the tug’s weathered hull rides low as crews make final checks.

  • A working tug eases alongside to position the hulk precisely over the reef site.

  • Your eye will spot U.S. Coast Guard personnel in their orange jackets on nearby boats—standard oversight at controlled sinkings—while reef program staff and local captains watch the vessel settle. (These details are visible in the photographs shown here.)

  • The bow finally bites the surface, a burst of spray marks the last exhale, and the G.A. Venturo disappears to the bottom where she rests today.

Organizations involved (as documented)

  • New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife – Artificial Reef Program (reef siting and management). NJDEPNJSL Digital Collections

  • Fishermen’s Conservation Organization (FCO) and Sean Mowbray (listed sponsors of the G.A. Venturo tug). NJ.gov

If you go (for divers/anglers)

Sources & further reading

  • New Jersey Artificial Reef Guide (Sea Girt Reef sheet, site list and coordinates). NJ.gov

  • NJDEP: Artificial Reef Program overview and objectives. NJDEP

  • NOAA: What artificial reefs are and how they function; research on reef effectiveness. National Ocean ServiceNCCOS

  • X-Ray Magazine feature on Northeast artificial-reef wrecks (Venturo Tug depths/description). X-Ray International Dive Magazine

  • The Fisherman: notes on Capt. Greg Venturo and his wreck-fishing book. The Fisherman