The Lobster Wreck is a dredge that is in 125 feet of water, with the highest parts reaching 115 feet. The wreck is somewhere between 150 and 200 feet long and is rectangular in shape. There are four boilers, an engine, a stern anchor, a bow anchor, and a 20-inch dredge cutting head.
During the summer, the water temperature ranges from the upper 70's to the low 80's. Visibility averages 60 feet but can get up over a 100 feet. Tropical fish, hogfish, grouper, and lobster can be found on the wreck.
Although the true identity of the Lobster Wreck isn't known, it is suspected to be the Porta Allegra. In August of 2000, Brian Tate of Wilmington, NC found a manufacturer's plate on a winch he recovered. The plate was from the Ellicott Machine Company of Baltimore, Maryland. The company is still in business and after some research, matched the contract number on the plate to the winch that was installed on the Porta Allegra, which was constructed in 1908 and had a 20-inch cutter. There are no records after the sale that indicates if the Porta Allegra sank or if the winch had been moved to another dredge.
