COORDINATES: 26949.6, 39960.6

A passenger/freighter built in 1900 for the Cromwell Line, the Proteus sank in a collision the night of August 19, 1918, with the tanker Cushing. She now rests in 125' of water off Hatteras, North Carolina. The wreck was depth charged numerous times during World War II, as her sunken hull resembled a German U-boat to many a trigger happy seaman.

Rediscovered in 1983, she became known for her numerous bronze framed windows, whose upper section contains an ornate leaded stained glass piece; this exact style of window was also used on the legendary passenger liner Titanic. The stern rises high of the bottom, with her single screw and rudder still upright above the sand. Forward of the stern, the bronze auxiliary steering helm hubs lay exposed in the sand for many years until a North Carolina diver recovered the prize in 1997. The port side of the wreck is lower than the starboard, and many artifacts are found along this edge as the ship came to rest on her side. Three large boilers sit amidships, and there are numerous digging holes just forward of this area where the ship's china can be found. The starboard side of the wreck consists mainly of twisted hull plates. The wreck consistently has visibility in excess of 50', many times approaching 100', and is home to a diverse abundance of sealife including sand tiger sharks, grouper, triggerfish, rays, and sea turtles.