For much of the last decade, the MV Shearwater caught menhaden by the ton, but in its new life, as part of the Del-Jersey-Land reef 26 miles off the coast, it will become a fish habitat and diving destination in the state's artificial reef program.

The ship didn't go easy into the deep last week. The stern sank first, and the ship started to turn leaving just the bow out of the water. It took about six hours to fully sink after the seacocks opened and the interior compartments flooded.

The 176-foot-long vessel went down in 120 feet of water. It lays about one-half nautical mile from the 568-foot-long USS Arthur W. Radford, a former Navy destroyer. The Radford was sunk at the artificial reef site in 2011 and has become a popular destination for divers and anglers.

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