The wreck of the U-701 was originally discovered by a small group of
divers in the coastal waters off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in
1989. The location of the wreck and the site remained a closely
guarded secret and therefore undisturbed for the past 15 years. The
U-701 represents a virtually intact, pristine wreck site and a unique
opportunity to explore and experience an unspoiled U-boat within
recreational diving depths on the East Coast of the United States.

Recently, the vessel's location has been rediscovered and the
coordinates have become accessible to the general public, who have
already begun diving the site. An overwhelming majority of the local
recreational and wreck diving community is deeply concerned about the
potential for disturbance, damage and loss resulting from unauthorized
salvage. And, we thought you might share this concern.

As divers, with privileged access to underwater wreck sites that are
part of a cultural heritage, we have a responsibility to preserve them
for future generations. The U-701 is a war grave and part of the
world's underwater cultural heritage. This is why Project AWARE
Foundation and PADI are committed to a "Respect Our Wrecks" campaign
and ethic that promotes diver access and responsible interactions. As
a non-consumptive user group of the U-701, we can lead the charge for
wreck conservation by adhering to and promoting the following
considerations while diving this historic site.
Respect the heritage and loss. The U-701 is the final resting place
for those who gave their lives while serving their nation. Protect
underwater graves as you would any other memorial site.
Respect the environment. Fine tune your buoyancy, streamline your
equipment, use a mooring line instead of an anchor and avoid touching
the wreck with your hands, knees or fins.
Respect others. Resist the temptation to remove anything from the
U-701 wreck site. As divers we are merely visitors. We're responsible
for leaving wrecks as we find them.
Respect your limitations. Seek additional training with a qualified
PADI Instructor prior to wreck diving activities.
Respect the law. Know and obey all local laws and regulations when
wreck diving on this site.
Respect safety. Many military vessels still contain hazardous
materials such as oil, firearms and munitions. Do not recover or
interfere with dangerous materials on the U-701.
Respect history and archeology. Shipwrecks, such as the U-701, hold
clues to our maritime past. Don't disturb these historical sites.

By following these guidelines, divers also minimize their risk of
being denied access to underwater cultural heritage sites in the
future. Any diver interested in accessing the U-701 should know that
international law and US law governs the unauthorized disturbance or
removal of items from the vessel. On January 19, 2001, a Presidential
Statement was issued on the United States' Policy for the Protection
of Sunken State Craft. The policy states that all government vessels,
of both U.S. and foreign governments, remain the property of those
governments, regardless of location or length of time since the vessel
was lost at sea. In addition, no one is allowed to disturb or remove
objects from these vessels without the permission of the government
vessel's owner. In 2003, the German government stated that no one is
to disturb sunken German State Craft without the permission of the
German government.

For more information on German policies governing the U-701, see the
attached Public Notice from the U.S. State Department. For further
details on Project AWARE's Respect Our Wrecks campaign, visit the
Project AWARE Foundation website at
http://www.projectaware.org/americas/english/row.asp.