 "Whiting"'s survey department approached the project as it would any typical hydrographic survey.Information on snags – obstructions on the ocean bottom that snarl fishing nets and gear – that local recreational fishermen had reported and reports of possible locations of the wreck from divers that had visited it provided "Whiting" with possible targets for her search.After her crew had prepared a plan for a systematic search, "Whiting" moved from target cluster to target cluster, mapping the ocean bottom using sidescan sonar.