Diving the Rainbow Warrior

The Rainbow Warrior, 130 feet (40 m) long, lies in 88 feet (27 m) of water at the deepest point. Ironically, the wreck lives up to its name, now covered in spectacular, colorful jewel anemones. It is home to a variety of macro life, and divers can see schools of golden snapper, kingfish, and john dory. The rear cabins house bigeyes, while divers can spot roughies in the forecastle. 

Although the top of the wreck sits at around 50 feet (15 m), the main structure descends hits 88 feet (27 m). The depth of the wreck makes a dive on the Rainbow Warrior a deep(er) dive, which requires at least an advanced qualification. A wreck specialty qualification is required for penetration. 

The wreck is upright, leaning slightly to the starboard side. Although penetration is possible, the hull has started to break apart, and pieces of the vessel can be seen scattered along the bottom. The top part of the bridge has collapsed; the masts are gone, and the decks are covered in kelp. Divers can easily see the hole caused by the blast that originally sank the vessel on the starboard side of the hull. 

The port side of the wreck faces north and is covered in seaweed that attracts leatherjackets. The starboard side’s shade creates perfect conditions for sponge growth.

Water temperature ranges between 59 F (15 C) from late winter to early spring and 71 F (22 C) in summer, with visibility between 50 to 65 feet (15 to 20 m). Summer and fall (between January and May) bring the best visibility. The currents around the wreck are usually quite mild, although stronger currents can be present at the surface.

You can dive the Rainbow Warrior either by small boat from Matauri Bay, or by joining a charter boat that departs from Paihia in the Bay of Islands. 

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What is an artificial reef?

Generally, an artificial reef is anything manmade that you might see underwater. These could include structures specially designed to encourage coral growth, purposefully scuttled vessels and, of course, ships and planes that sank due to either weather conditions or as victims of war. In time, most of these artificial reefs become a home for new life, as polyps (baby coral) need hard substrate to attach to and grow on.

Artificial reefs long predate modern history as well; Japanese fishermen in the Middle Ages made them from bamboo. More recently objects made from various materials, such as concrete, have been employed to create underwater experiences for divers as well as in an attempt to generate healthy underwater ecosystems.

How do artificial reefs benefit the marine environment?

As mentioned, artificial reefs provide a substrate where coral polyps can attach to regenerate and grow. Over time, these areas can become flourishing ecosystems, attracting a variety of marine life. The placement of artificial reefs can also help reduce coastal erosion. Furthermore, artificial reefs can increase the amount of oxygen being produced underwater. This, in turn, reduces oxygen deficiency in the deeper areas of the ocean.

Reefs that see many divers each year are often exposed to larger amounts of damage, aside from that caused by pollution, rising CO² and water temperature levels. Novice and irresponsible divers can cause damage to coral reefs that might take years to regenerate. Artificial reefs provide divers with additional areas to explore, taking pressure off natural reef systems in the area.

What are some of the drawbacks of artificial reefs?

Artificial reefs, while taking some pressure off of natural reefs, can also attract more visitors to the area in general. Thus, while divers and snorkelers might visit an area because of an artificial reef, they will likely pair that with a number of visits to natural reefs in the area, which could lead to more damage on the reefs. Also, if they aren’t carefully monitored, artificial reefs can become habitat and spawning grounds for invasive species, such as orange-cup coral.

The creation of artificial reefs involves intensive planning, long-term monitoring and evaluation so as not to cause damage to the surrounding marine ecosystems or change the equilibrium of species native to the area.

Wrecks like old planes and ships can carry pollutants like asbestos, PCBs, floating debris and fuels. It is crucially important that these objects are thoroughly cleaned before they are scuttled. It is also important to consider the material used for artificial reefs. In the 1970s, about 2 million old tires were dumped off the Florida coast in an ill-advised attempt to create an artificial reef. Very little marine life has attached to the tires, which have subsequently become unmoored and destroyed natural substrata, as well as decomposing and floating in pieces in the ocean.

While artificial reefs can take pressure off natural reefs and encourage marine life growth and rehabilitation, it is important to follow the correct procedures when planning and installing these structures.

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The ex-HMAS Tobruk is a 417-foot (127 m) navy vessel that was in operation for 34 years. In that time, it made the equivalent of 40 trips around the world on 26 major missions to destinations such as the Middle East, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Decommissioned in 2015, the Tobruk was scuttled in Hervey Bay, 15 nautical miles off the coast of Bundaberg, in 2018.

Scuttling the Tobruk

As I descend the mooring line to Australia’s newest wreck, the first sight of it takes my breath away. It’s massive. Of course, we’d been told the wreck’s history and statistics in our dive briefing, but seriously, it is hard to imagine what a wreck of this size actually looks like before it emerges into view underwater.

The second thing I notice as I scan the wreck is the marine life it has attracted in such a short time. As we approach, we see a large school of batfish hovering under the top deck balustrade and several schools of fusiliers and juvenile snappers buzz by.

The wreck was the subject of some controversy when it was scuttled, with the operation not quite going to plan. Because the ship was scuttled during the humpback-whale migration, the engineers used hydraulic pumps to scuttle it instead of explosives. During the process, the pumps failed on one side of the vessel, causing the Tobruk to tip over onto its side.

Although the sinking didn’t go according to plan, the boat’s unintended position on the ocean floor now adds to the dive experience. The ship rests 100 feet (30 m) below the ocean’s surface, but its portside hangs in just 39 feet (12 m) of water, allowing open-water divers access to the shipwreck. Advanced divers can descend a little deeper and access the wreck itself.

When in service, HMAS Tobruk could carry three helicopters, 18 leopard tanks, 40 armored personnel carriers, up to 520 soldiers, and 130 personnel. The vehicles rolled on and off the boat through a large set of doors into a cavernous space that now provides an exciting opportunity for underwater exploration.

Diving the Tobruk

We dive with Lady Musgrave Experience, an operator based in Bundaberg, which also offers full-day trips to the spectacular Lady Musgrave Island. After a one-hour journey aboard a fast catamaran, we arrive at the Tobruk‘s final resting place. It’s mid-winter and the water is around 70 F (21 C) and relatively clear, especially considering it’s been raining heavily for the past several days. Visibility is around 33 to 50 feet (10 to 15 m)

There are several mooring lines along the length of the wreck, marking the bow, stern and mid-ships. Each has a guide rope that sits at about 16 feet (5 m) and descends to meet the top of the wreck at about 42 feet (13 m). We enter roughly mid-ships, and as we continue down the line, the hulking shape of the wreck appears from the murky deep.

The skeleton of the Tobruk provides the perfect foundation for a coral reef to grow, while the depth of the wreck means that divers can spot bigger marine life swimming past.

After an hour’s surface interval, it’s time for our second dive to explore the inside of the wreck. A green turtle, affectionately named Brookie by the team from Lady Musgrave Experience, now calls the Tobruk home. Brookie often approaches divers, swimming right up and rubbing her shell along their wetsuits. Before heading inside, we spot Brookie resting in a nook on the top deck of the ship.

Inside the hull, darkness envelops us and our torches light up rusting signage and a silt-covered floor, giving the swim through the ship a slightly eerie feel. The water appears bright blue through the large openings to the interior of the Tobruk, like light streaming through cathedral windows. We end the dive on the top deck, with schools of fish darting around in the current and another sea turtle leisurely swimming past.

Making it happen

The ex-HMAS Tobruk will challenge and excite both casual divers and those with a lust for rust. Bundaberg and Hervey Bay are both great jump-off points for nearby Lady Elliot Island and Lady Musgrave Island, two exquisite cays on the southern Great Barrier Reef, famous for their coral reefs and their resident populations of turtles and manta rays.

Both Bundaberg and Hervey Bay are an easy 3 to 4-hour drive north of Brisbane. From interstate and overseas, both towns also have airports with a regular service from both Brisbane and Sydney on Virgin Australia and Qantas.

There are four dive operators who hold permits to access the ex-HMAS Tobruk and each offer a standard package of two dives over a total trip time of five to six hours. In Bundaberg, Tobruk/Lady Musgrave Experience and Bundaberg Aqua Scuba and in Hervey Bay, Hervey Bay Dive Centre and Tobruk Dive Centre Hervey Bay offer trips.

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Diving the RMS Quetta

Due to its location, the Quetta is overflowing with amazing marine life, all of which seems to be huge. Like most animal-rich and rarely-dived locations, the site comes with its risks — namely huge currents. However, when executed safely, it is an unforgettable dive.

Having come to rest at a depth of 60 feet (18 m), the ship sits on its side and is consistently buffered by a current in excess of four knots. This means you can only dive it on slack water, and you must wait patiently in your boat atop the wreck for the magical changing of the current. Once this occurs, you must be ready to jump in immediately, since this limited window usually only happens once a day. Often the decent is a mix of swimming and slowly dragging yourself down the descent line, but this wreck is definitely worth a bit of hard work.

Once you’re on the wreck, you’ll be totally shielded from the water’s rapid movement, and what appears before you are a plethora of fish and fantastic rusted holds and rooms to explore. Luckily the wreck is pretty open thanks to the nasty gash that ultimately caused its sinking, which left an interesting and unique pathway.

Marine life on the Quetta

Inside and outside the wreck, massive groupers wait until night to hunt while manta rays sweep and dance across the hull in search of food. In the various massive cargo holds, thousands of eyes seem to stare at you up close as sweetlips come in for a closer gentle stare at their latest visitors. Above, barracuda and sharks sweep past, either looking for a place to rest or a quick fishy snack. You just never know what you will see thanks to a current that brings a seemingly endless supply of food and nutrients onto the wreck.

The best dive plan involves swimming through the front holds and out the nasty gash, where you’ll find hundreds of huge sweetlips of every species mulling around, intermixed with an occasional and very rare Queensland grouper. Move to the bow of the ship and through a dense cloud of batfish to reach the deck.

From here, you can weave in and out of the open cargo holds until you reach the very intact mast that juts straight out parallel with the seafloor. A nice little swim will take you to the end and back. Continuing toward the stern, you come face to face with even more hunting fish. Barracuda and sharks are often chasing prey and it’s a treat to stop and watch if you have a moment. The last part of the dive takes you around and under the huge prop that still sits well out of the sand and into a hole blown in the ship’s hull by scavengers seeking the riches within, back when diving involved bell helmets and seafloor walks.

You can dive the Quetta as part of a multi-day liveaboard trip running from Cairns or as part of a club dive out of Thursday Island. Social media is the best way to connect with locals who know the area and, in exchange for some fuel, will be happy enough to take you out.

All images courtesy Matt Testoni

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The wreck itself is quite broken up, but divers can see between five and seven 82-ton locomotives on this dive.

Diving St. Chamond

Upon descent, divers will immediately see a locomotive lying on its left side with a shot line draped over it. You’ll also spot a round boiler with a firebox, hollow tubes and pistons to drive the wheels.

A few feet from the locomotive chassis lies the main body of the wreck. Although it’s mostly in pieces, some parts of the hull still rise from the seabed. Steel-hoop tires for the locomotive wheels and couplings for the main cargo pipes are scattered nearby. The propeller shaft is exposed towards the center of the ship, while a few curved ribs of steel are all that remains of the tunnel.

Moving along, divers can see a triple-expansion steam engine to the right of the crank. Further still, along the center line of the ship is a large pile of steel pipes. To the left of these pipes is another steam locomotive, lying on its side within the outline of the St. Chamond hull.

Other notable features

One of the original boilers from the St. Chamond stands upright just off of the left side of the wreck. Nearby, divers can identify the bow by a pile of anchor chain as well as two anchors with the disintegrated hull around them. A few feet forward from the bow, and slightly to the right, is the anchor winch. Here is the shallowest part of the wreck, at 65 feet (20 m) during low tide.

Returning along the right side of the wreck, divers will find a steel dome, thought to be the remains of an item of cargo. Further along this side are two locomotives. The chassis of the first stands upright, while the second locomotive sits beside it. A third locomotive is rumored to be in this area, but few have seen it.

Further toward the back and along the right side of the wreck is another small pile of steel pipes, as well as another locomotive. This one is intact, resting slightly on its side just outside the outline of the hull. Inside the outline of the hull, divers can see two broken winches.

There’s one more locomotive past this point, suggesting that either the original manifest of cargo was incorrect, or that more locomotives (than the five stated) were loaded on the vessel at the last minute. Some steel pipes and scraps of wreckage are scattered along the seabed from this point at a depth of 79 feet (24 m) during low tide.

Toward the right here are the remains of the stern, with part of the propeller shaft sticking out of a small V-section of the keel. This leads to a partially buried steep propeller with the remains of the rudder laying nearby.

When to dive

The average visibility on the wreck varies between 16 to 33 feet (5–10 m) while the depth at low tide is between 66 and 98 feet (20­–30 m). Tides around the wreck can be very strong and it’s best to dive the St. Chamond during slack water.

All images courtesy of April Milne

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W.E. Hutton sinks

Launched on April 20, 1920, the tanker W.E. Hutton was originally named Portola Plumas. It was one of 15 standardized cargo ships delivered to the U.S. Shipping Board. The 435-foot (133 m) ship was driven by a single screw, triple-expansion engine using three Scotch boilers that could propel the vessel up to 10.5 knots. In 1923, Pure Oil Steamship bought the ship and renamed it W.E. Hutton and it began service as a petroleum tanker.

On its final voyage, W.E. Hutton set sail from Smith’s Bluff, Texas, making its way to Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. On the night of March 18, 1942, the tanker carried 65,000 barrels of heating oil. It was transiting just 20 miles (32 km) southwest of the Cape Lookout Light Buoy, one of the most dangerous areas of the East Coast. Although U-boat threats were dire all along the U.S. coast, convoys had not yet become standard during this early phase of the war. Therefore, W. E. Hutton traveled unarmed and unescorted. With no other option, the captain followed the routing instructions and blacked out the ship.

German U-boat U-124 was operating in the same vicinity. It had just succeeded in destroying the tanker Papoose an hour earlier when it spotted W.E. Hutton. U-124 fired two torpedoes toward the unsuspecting tanker.

One torpedo missed, but the other hit the starboard bow. The W.E. Hutton crew sent a distress signal and set about lowering the lifeboats. Eight minutes after the first explosion, U-124 fired another torpedo toward the stationary tanker, and it struck amidships. An enormous explosion erupted, ignited the cargo, and engulfed the ship in a raging inferno. As the crew hastily abandoned ship, 15 men made it into two lifeboats and eight more into two rafts. Sadly, several crew members reported seeing some of their crew mates on fire and jumping into the sea.

The ship sank within an hour of the initial attack. At daybreak, the survivors consolidated into a single raft and began rowing for shore. At 10:35 Eastern War Time, the British merchant vessel Port Halifax picked up the survivors and took them to Savannah, Georgia. Of the 36-man crew, 13 were lost.

Diving W.E. Hutton

The wreck of W.E. Hutton rests in 125 feet (38 m) of water off Cape Lookout near Beaufort, North Carolina. The wreckage is broken into multiple sections, with two main relief areas (bow and stern sections) separated by about 145 feet (44 m). Both sections rest upside down and orient northeast to southwest, bow to stern. The bow section measures approximately 203 feet in length (62 m) and 40 feet (12 m) at the beam. The stern section of the wreckage is around 208 feet long (63 m) and 55 feet (17 m) at the beam. Divers experience a mostly contiguous wreck site with the boilers, engine remains, two anchors at the bow still in the hawse pipes, and tangled metal visible.

Today, the wreck is a popular dive site where divers cannot only experience World War II history, but also see beautiful underwater marine life. Small fish are frequent visitors of the wreck site, and sand tiger and bull sharks also occasionally visit.

“Even though parts of the vessel remains are upside down, there are so many unique spots to identify machinery as well as observe vibrant marine life,” says NOAA maritime archaeologist and diver Will Sassorossi. “The bow section in particular is quite interesting as part of it sits upright, on its keel, directly alongside a section of overturned hull.”

Through the years, the dive community questioned the identity of this wreck, as well as others nearby. With the large number of shipwrecks so close together and the “fog of war” effect, it is understandable why confusion exists. Since 2008, with the assistance of the local dive community and avocational researchers, NOAA positively identified other misidentified wreck sites including San Delfino, Ario, and Papoose. As of 2016, after extensive survey work, NOAA believes the wreck site once thought to be the merchant tanker Ario is in fact W.E. Hutton.

An expanded sanctuary

In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. W.E. Hutton is one vessel included in the proposal.

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

By Shannon Ricles, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

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U-701 sinks

On May 20, 1942, the crew of U-701 left Lorient, France for a third and final patrol in conjunction with six other U-boats. Five of the seven, including U-701, left for special missions and represented possibly the most aggressive coordinated U-boat assault on the U.S. during WWII. U-701 set out to mine the Chesapeake Bay area.

On June 12, good visibility from the lights of Cape Henry and Cape Charles helped U-701 lay mines. It took just 30 minutes for the U-701 crew to strategically and accurately lay 15 delayed-action TMB mines at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, directly in the shipping channel. The minefield would prove effective, sinking two ships and severely damaging three more.

U-701 then headed to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to look for additional targets. On June 19, U-701 spotted a small U.S. Navy patrol boat, USS YP-389. Worried that the vessel might give away their location, the U-701 crew decided to use the deck guns to sink the vessel. After a brutal exchange of fire between the two vessels that lasted for over an hour, YP-389 sank beneath the water.

U-701’s success continued the following week when it fired two torpedoes, hitting and damaging the tanker William Rockefeller. It returned later that evening to fire the final blow, sinking the tanker.

On July 7, U-701 patrolled off Cape Hatteras and surfaced to freshen the air in the U-boat. As the submarine sat on the surface of the water, the first watch officer failed to spot an Army Air Force Hudson, piloted by Lieutenant Harry Kane out of Cherry Point, North Carolina. Kane dropped three 325-pound depth charges just as U-701 attempted to crash dive. Although the U-boat was already underwater when the charges hit, the damage prevented U-701 from blowing the ballast tanks and surfacing. Therefore, the survivors most likely escaped from U-701 as it sat on the bottom. All but seven of the crew escaped. Kane radioed a position and dropped a smoke flair but could not offer any other assistance to the survivors. Kane and his crew were hailed as heroes with the first defeat of a submarine from the air by American forces.

The surviving U-701 crew of 36 drifted with the Gulf Stream for 49 hours. On July 10, the Navy blimp K-8 spotted the survivors and called in a Coast Guard sea plane. The plane landed and found only seven surviving crew members, including the captain. Suffering heavily from exposure, the seven survivors became prisoners of war and remained in various camps in the U.S. until the end of the war.

Diving U-701

The wreck of U-701 remained completely undisturbed for 47 years until a recreational diver discovered it in 1989. The diver kept the ship’s location secret from the larger diving community, but following a hurricane in 2004, other divers rediscovered the site and today it is quite popular.

The wreck sits in about 110 feet (34 m) of water in shifting sands and currents where the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current collide off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. U-701 is partially buried on the sandy bottom and the strength of the ocean currents on the site vary widely from slight to very swift. Stronger currents typically result in scour around the wreck that leaves more of the U-boat’s port side exposed than the starboard side.

“U-701 is one of the best examples of a German Type VIIC U-boat off the U.S. East Coast, as the submarine remains mostly intact,” says Tane Casserley, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary’s research coordinator and a maritime archaeologist.

“The sand can vary as much as 10 feet year-to-year, giving divers a different view each year they dive on it. The outer hull fairing also has a remarkable degree of preservation, providing divers a true sense of how devastating this weapon was to our unarmed merchant ships during World War II’s Battle of the Atlantic.”   

Depending on the current, visibility also varies, but commonly ranges from 10 to 40 feet (3 to 12 m). The site is typically accessible to recreational divers year-round, with summer water temperatures ranging between 70 and 80 F (21 to 27 C) and winter temperatures typically in the low- to mid-60s (16 to 17 C). The shipwreck’s vertical relief is in stark contrast to the surrounding sandy seafloor. Its structure serves as hard substrate for encrusting marine organisms and provides shelter for many species of marine life. When conditions remove large amounts of sediment, U-701’s forward diving planes, propellers, and rudders are also exposed.

An Expanded sanctuary

In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. U–701

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

By Shannon Ricles, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

The post Preserving America’s Underwater Battlefield: U-701 appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Khao Lak is situated on the west coast of Thailand, along the shores of the Andaman Sea. This small village is the starting point for many liveaboards and day trips to the Surin and Similan Islands. And just 3 miles (5 km) off the coast is the Boonsung wreck, a must-dive when visiting the area.

A brief history of the Boonsung

Khao Lak and the surrounding area was part of Thailand’s once-booming mining industry. The Boonsung was a tin dredger in its heyday until sinking sometime between the late 1970s and early 1980s — dates vary depending on the sources, with most pointing to 1983 or 1984.

There is much speculation as to why it went down. Urban legend has it that someone flushed a faulty toilet, causing water to rush in. Some claim it was deliberately sunk for easy and cheap disposal. Whatever the reason, the Boonsung came to lie on the ocean floor.

Being close to the surface, however, the wreck was a hazard to shipping. Consequently, the Thai Navy detonated a few bombs to level it out. This, combined with damage caused by the 2004 tsunami, has left the wreck looking nothing like a ship.

The perfect fish haven

With nothing but sand for miles around, the Boonsung quickly became an artificial reef and a haven for thousands and thousands of fish and other species. This high density of marine life is better than many dive sites in the Similan Islands and has lead divers to describe the Boonsung as a ‘fish soup.’

As you descend one of three lines, you will immediately see why. Huge schools of snappers, trevally, fusiliers, barracuda, and batfish await. Porcupine and pufferfish gather in large numbers, as do lionfish and squid. Moray eels emerge from every crevice. Divers should look out for scorpionfish, crocodilefish, and bluespotted stingrays in the sand. The Boonsung wreck and its surrounds simply teem with wildlife. You may even spot the occasional whale shark cruising past.

Macro marine life

Despite all the larger animals, the variety of macro marine life truly makes the Boonsung unique. Since most dive centers do two dives on the wreck, it’s the perfect excuse to move slowly and search for the small wildlife. Ornate ghost pipefish and frogfish live side-by-side with numerous species of nudibranch. One part of the wreck has even been renamed the “nudi hotel” thanks to the vast numbers living there.

Look closely for the countless holes in the sand where gobies keep guard while their shrimp housemates work tirelessly to maintain the cohabited burrows. Also a treat are the honeycomb morays that have made the Boonsung their home. You’ll rarely see these beautiful eels at other dive sites, but here you’re pretty much guaranteed a sighting of both adults and juveniles.

Navigation

Although it no longer resembles a ship, the manner in which the Boonsung has broken up into four main structures makes for a very interesting dive site. The wreck lies at 60 feet (18 m) on a flat, sandy bottom. Because of the damage, the shallowest part sits at around 36 feet (11 m) with the average roof level at 43 feet (13 m).

The only disadvantage of diving the Boonsung wreck is the visibility, which usually hovers around 33 feet (10 m). However, after descending, navigation is simple. Heading in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, move between the four broken-up sections. Stay close to the wreck and you won’t get lost.

Unfortunately, the wreck’s structure has become unstable since the 2004 tsunami, which means divers are not allowed to penetrate the wreck. But with so much to see and explore on the outside, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.

Diving conditions

Apart from the somewhat reduced visibility, there aren’t a lot of environmental concerns. There is no significant current to deal with, which is why it’s such a good wreck to explore at a leisurely pace.

Divers should, as always, pay attention to their buoyancy. Because it’s a wreck, the Boonsung has sharp metal hazards throughout. Watch for scorpionfish, stonefish and black sea urchins as well. Divers will need good buoyancy to avoid contacting anything they shouldn’t.

Who can dive the wreck?

The Boonsung is a great dive for everyone, as there’s something here for every skill level. It’s a straightforward dive with minimal current, making it an ideal first wreck dive for beginners. The flat, sandy bottom and shallow depth also make it suitable for open-water and advanced open-water students.

Seasoned divers will not be disappointed with two dives on the Boonsung, either. Exploring the nooks and crannies around the wreck will reveal the huge variety of macro life that lives here. The Boonsung will keep even the most experienced diver happy.

When to dive the Boonsung

Khao Lak has a tropical climate and is warm year-round. The best time for diving here is between October and May, as this is out of the monsoon season. It’s possible to visit the Similan islands as well during this time. When the southwest monsoons arrive, the Andaman Sea can get quite rough. Although centers still offer trips to the Boonsung, they are often canceled due to inclement weather conditions.

Peak season is December and January when Khao Lak is crammed with tourists and divers alike. Avoiding these months means fewer tourists and the calmer water, a double bonus in any diver’s mind, so you might prefer to visit outside of the hectic high season.

Although the Boonsung is a great dive, it’s even better when you can enjoy the ‘fish soup’ with no other divers around. October to May is also the best time to see whale sharks. Who knows, you might just combine wreck diving with a sighting of this giant of the sea.

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The Oriskany is the largest artificial reef in the world, built for the United States Navy after WWII and decommissioned in 1975. The ‘Mighty O,’ as it was affectionately known, served in the Pacific Theatres of war during the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.

Visiting the USS Oriskany

After the lengthy scrapping and cleansing process, the Oriskany was sunk in 2006, 24 miles (39 km) off the southern coast of Pensacola, Florida. Fitted with an array of explosives, the complicated sinking process was a success and the mighty ship came to rest on the sandy bottom in an upright position in 210 feet (64 m) of water. Recreational divers will reach the can access the deck’s island structure at 70 feet (21 m), but the flight deck now rests at 145 feet (44 m) after Hurricane Gustav in 2008 shifted the wreck 10 feet deeper.  

Diving the Oriskany

Many dive operators in the area offer trips to the Oriskany. Recreational divers will need to hover above the immense ship, which measures 900 feet (280 m) long and 145 feet (40 m) wide, allowing a great deal of life to prosper in the rich Floridian waters. Obviously, any reef takes time to flourish, yet those who have dived on the wreck religiously for the last 12 years confirm a plethora of life. Mola molas, tiger sharks, barracuda, whale sharks and even manta rays occasionally circle the wreck, while octopus, moray eels and crabs commonly hide themselves in the wreck’s many crevasses, only seen with a passing light from a diver.

The legacy of the Oriskany

While creating a home for many marine species, the largest military ship in history also serves as a memorial for servicemen and a reminder of the past. While the sinking and cleaning process of the aircraft carrier cost $20 million USD, the University of Florida estimated that in 2007 alone the Oriskany earned over $4 million USD in revenue with all three Pensacola dive operators reporting over 4,000 trips to the wreck for diving and other forms of scientific expeditions. The ‘Great Carrier Reef,’ as it’s known, will continue to be not only Florida’s, but also one of the world’s most unique and interesting dive sites.

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British Splendour sinks

Laden with 10,000 gallons of gas, merchant tanker British Splendour left Houston, Texas, on its way to Nova Scotia in early April 1942 to rendezvous with a British convoy. The tanker’s cargo was important for the war raging in Europe. Unfortunately, British Splendour never arrived at its destination.

As the ship cruised off the North Carolina coast, HMS St. Zeno (FY 280) and HMS Hertfordshire (FY 176) escorted the tanker. Aware of the dangers lurking in the waters, all of the armed vessels stationed lookouts. The vessels’ crews knew German U-boats could be in the area.

On April 7, U-552 silently and patiently prowled the North Carolina coast under the cover of darkness. Shortly after 10:00 p.m., U-552 fired a single torpedo that hit British Splendour with a devastating blow on the port side near the engine room. The torpedo immediately disabled the ship, and 12 crew members were killed instantly. Fire spread quickly, and when it reached the storage areas, the gas cargo engulfed the ship in a violent blaze. British Splendour’s captain ordered the crew to abandon ship and the 41 surviving men made it safely into lifeboats.

After two hours, the ship sank. The survivors were rescued and taken to Norfolk, Virginia.

Diving British Splendour

Resting upside down with its hull plating facing the surface, British Splendour lies about 100 feet (30 m) underwater. The remains of the ship are mostly contiguous, with a small section of high relief located at the vessel’s stern. The prevailing current runs from bow to stern, but site conditions vary during the year. Shifting sands and variable currents create an ever-changing environment in a dynamic zone.

“The great visibility usually found at the site provides a fantastic view of the ship’s stern twisted on the seafloor,” says Tane Casserley, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary maritime archaeologist. “The sheer amount of machinery exposed and the hull laid open speaks to the power of the torpedo that exploded there 77 years ago.”

Marine life is abundant at the wreck site, and divers can often see stingrays and schools of blue runners feeding on swirling baitfish. Amberjack, spadefish, and barracudas, along with occasional nurse sharks, also visit the wreck site. 

To learn more about British Splendour and other World War II shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast, click here, and to check out a 3-D model of the wreck, click here.

An expanded sanctuary

In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. British Splendour is one vessel included in the proposal.

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

By Shannon Ricles, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

The post Preserving America’s Underwater Battlefield: British Splendour appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

When World War II came to the Solomon Islands in 1942, it left an indelible stain on the island nation. Some of the bloodiest battles of the conflict occurred on the land, air and sea around Guadalcanal, particularly in the area that is now downtown Honiara. Today the capital of the Solomon Islands is a busy port town, but you don’t have to look far to find evidence of the war here, especially when you plunge beneath the waves.

The battle for Guadalcanal lasted more than six months, but it was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. It was the first major defeat for the Japanese, forcing them on the defensive and giving the Allied forces momentum for their eventual victory. But the victory came at a heavy cost in Guadalcanal, with the loss of ships, planes and many lives.

Battle sites, museums and war memorials to the fallen troops are scattered around Honiara, but divers can visit more tangible links to the war, exploring the many shipwrecks that rest in the waters nearby.

With many of the best shipwrecks off Honiara accessible from the shore, the local dive shop, Tulagi Dive, can ferry you there by road. Here are our picks for a few of the best.

Bonegi 1

The 508-foot-long (155 m) Japanese military transport ship Hirokawa Maru ran aground in 1942 after being mortally wounded. The ship now rests on its port side in depths from 10 to 164 feet (3 to 50 m).

Covered in beautiful soft corals, sponges and gorgonians, this ship is a wonderful artificial reef. On your first dive here, you may get to 130 feet (40 m), checking out the holds, kingposts and other features in the 65-foot (20 m) visibility. It will take several dives to really see all the features of this large shipwreck, so plan your second and third for shallower depths.

Bonegi 2

The nearby Japanese military transport ship, the Kinugawa Maru, also ran aground in 1942. It was originally 436 feet (133 m) long, but its bow section is completely obliterated. The ship now rests in 6.5 to 85 feet (2 to 26 m) and is a great dive. This wreck is also covered in pretty corals and has a lot more fish life, including schools of snapper, drummer and fusiliers. Tour the holds and stern section and encounter batfish, sweetlips and maybe even a few mobula rays.

Japanese I-1 submarine

Sunk by two New Zealand navy ships in 1943 and later blown apart by salvage divers, this 321-foot-long (98 m) submarine now rests in 33 to 98 feet (10 to 30 m).

Although in pieces, this sub is a wonderful dive with plenty to see. Divers can penetrate part of the hull, allowing them to see the engines and air tanks. The stern section is the most intact, but the props are missing. Many reef fish and invertebrate species now call the sub home, and corals decorate the hull.

Boeing B-17E bomber

This Boeing B-17E bomber, also called the ‘Flying Fortress,’ crash-landed in 1942. This impressive plane wreck rests on a sandy slope in depths from 33 to 62 feet (10 to 19 m). Although it is missing its tail and the nose is badly broken, it is a fascinating dive. On show are the four engines, the giant wings, cockpit and a gun turret. The plane is also home to numerous fish, including schools of snapper, baitfish and fusiliers. Sadly, none of the nine crew survived the crash.

Other wrecks off Honiara include the Japanese transport ship Kyusya Maru, which you can also dive from shore. Accessible by boat are the Japanese freighter Azumason Maru, the U.S. Coast Guard liberty ship USS Serpens and the U.S. attack transport ship USS John Penn. When you add the ship- and plane-wrecks off nearby Tulagi, it becomes clear that Guadalcanal is one of the best wreck-diving destinations in the world — for both techies and recreational divers.

The post A Non-Tech Diver’s Guide to Guadalcanal appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Tamaulipas sinks

Tamaulipas operated on a route from Tampico, Mexico, to the United States, carrying petroleum products to refineries on the East Coast. On April 9, 1942, Tamaulipas was traveling alone and unarmed on its way to New York City, carrying a full cargo of 70,000 barrels of oil.

Early that morning as Tamaulipas passed Cape Lookout, North Carolina, a lookout spotted the wake of a torpedo as it crossed the tanker’s wake. Trying to avoid a torpedo strike, Tamaulipas’s captain quickly made an adjustment to travel in a zig-zag course, but it was for naught. U-552 fired a second torpedo that exploded into Tamaulipas’s starboard side, aft the midship house, and near the No. 5 tank. U-552 had a successful morning as it had also just attacked and sunk another tanker, Atlas.

The explosion and resulting eruption of the flammable cargo broke Tamaulipas in half. Within five minutes of the attack, the captain realized the ship was lost and ordered the crew to abandon ship. Two crew members died in the explosion, but the surviving crew made it into the No. 1 and No. 3 lifeboats and escaped from the tanker with burning oil quickly surrounding them atop the water. A few hours after the attack, the HMS Norwich City picked up 35 surviving crew members, where they joined the surviving crew from Atlas.

Diving Tamaulipas

The wreck of Tamaulipas is in two sections, resting in about 155 feet (47 m) of water off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. The vessel broke in two, but only after floating for some time in the current. Therefore, the two halves of the ship are located about half-mile away from one another.

The ship’s forward section is turtled, with the outer hull pointing toward the surface. Half a mile to the north, the aft section of Tamaulipas sits upright on the seabed, with numerous identifiable features. This section is contiguous and easily navigable. Large amounts of disarticulated hull and deck structure surround the engine and two boilers. The propeller and rudder are also visible. The distinct fantail stern is lying to its starboard side, with part of the steering quadrant located adjacent to this structure.

 “Diving on the stern section is magnificent as it sits upright with a very prominent fantail,” says NOAA maritime archaeologist Joe Hoyt.

“For those who love to see sharks, the large steering quadrant and the engineering space are usually covered in them. It’s a great dive with clear, warm water. Although I have never been diving on the bow section, multibeam sonar shows that it rests upside down. Another enticing factor to dive on this wreck is its location. The site is not frequented as often as other shipwrecks, so it’s more pristine, and you know you are seeing something that many don’t have the opportunity to see.”

To learn more about Tamaulipas and other World War II shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast, click here.

An expanded sanctuary

 In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. Tamaulipas is one vessel included in the proposal.

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

The post Preserving America’s Underwater Battlefield: the Tamaulipas appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

The barber’s chair

In Cargo Hold No. 2, this unlikely underwater find is an eerie reminder of the wreck’s former life above the waves. Still clearly recognizable as a barber’s chair, it sits in an alcove near the opening of the cargo hold.

Doctor’s surgery

The ship’s doctor had a large supply of medical supplies to treat the hundreds of sailors on board, and they still rest neatly on the shelves of his surgery. There are bottles of all types of medicine, a syringe, a thermometer and a number of ampoules. Located on B Deck, the entrance is through hold No. 5.

Nessie the giant moray eel

Nessie has called the Coolidge home for as long as anyone can remember and has been fed by divers over the years. She’s one of the largest moray eels you’ll ever see, and you’ll usually find her in one of two large winches near the bow.

Coral-encrusted guns

You’ll see lots of discarded ammunition as you explore the ship, including neatly stacked piles of heavy-caliber shells, bullets and shells scattered at the bottom of the cargo holds and on the sea floor. On the ship’s hull as you hover over porthole windows, you’ll find a pile of rifles have been here so long they are covered in coating coral.

Gauges and controls in the engine control room

The engine room is about two-thirds of the way along the ship, accessible through a large hole cut in the hull years ago by salvagers. As your eyes adjust to the dark, the enormous motors come into view. Through small hatch on the left the control room has a large number of gauges, still showing the levels of steam pressure when the ship sank.

Flashlight fish

Deep inside cargo hold No. 2, look into the dark corners and turn your torch off. Before long you’ll start seeing tiny flashes of light as the flashlight fish come into view. The fish have two bean-shaped, torch-like organs under their eyes containing bioluminescent bacteria, which they can turn on and off by blinking.

The toilet block

Almost at the center of the ship, you may find yourself swimming down a long corridor with a row of toilets on the wall beside you. This rather strange angle to view a toilet seat offers a perfect spot for a selfie or a snap of you and your buddy attempting to sit on one.

Gas masks and Coke bottles

Outside the ship on the hull is an old gasoline drum with a bunch of goodies inside. These include old gas masks, a few tin mugs, and 75-year old Coca-Cola bottles, which offer a bit of fun for photos.

Anemone garden

On your last decompression stop at 15 feet (5 m), there’s a beautiful anemone garden, with anemonefish of all different sizes darting around anemones of all different colors and shapes. Look closely for tiny shrimp among the tendrils, and under the rocks and coral for larger mantis shrimp.

The Lady

The Holy Grail of the Coolidge, The Lady is the one treasure that every diver wants to see. The Lady is an old bas-relief statue of an Elizabethan ‘lady’ riding a horse with a long-flowing tail. She’s wearing a red and gold dress with a wide white ruff framing her delicate features. It’s a long-held divers’ tradition to kiss the Lady, although some divers say the tradition is actually to kiss the horse that she’s riding on.

The Lady was once in the ship’s first-class smoking room, but after a fall, she was moved to a safer position in the dining room and fixed securely to a wall at the far end of the room. She sits at 128 feet (39 m), so you won’t have long to visit, but before you kiss The Lady, spend a bit of time looking at her finely carved features. She really is a treasure.

The post Top 10 Treasures on the SS President Coolidge appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

U-85 sinks

Setting sail from St. Nazaire, France, on March 21, 1942, U-85 was making its third and final journey. With orders to patrol off the coast of the United States, the U-boat reached New Jersey and, on April 10, found its first target. Firing two torpedoes, U-85 sank the Swedish freighter Christina Knudsen, and then proceeded directly for Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Early in the day on April 13, USS Roper set out from Norfolk, Virginia, heading south to Cape Hatteras for antisubmarine patrol. Just south of Nags Head, North Carolina, U-85 waited in shallow water near the Bodie Island Lighthouse, looking for potential targets. Shortly after midnight, Roper approached the area where U-85 sat and detected a weak radar contact. At first, Roper’s crew didn’t suspect much, but they dutifully pursued the contact.

Sitting in very shallow water and knowing they were being tracked, the crew of U-85 decided to try to escape on the surface, hoping that their increased speed would get the U-boat into deeper water before Roper could attack. As Roper began to close in on U-85, the crew suspected that they were pursuing a submarine. Their suspicions came true when the crew witnessed the track of a torpedo narrowly missing the Roper as it ran down the port side. U-85’s attempt to shake Roper failed.

The gap between the two vessels closed, and a surface engagement ensued. Roper’s crew manned their machine guns and 3-inch deck guns. As the German sailors attempted to exit the conning tower to man their guns, they came under heavy fire from Roper’s crew. Roper not only had the advantage of more surface artillery but were also able to reach their guns sooner. A well-aimed 3-inch shell breached the pressure hull just aft of U-85’s conning tower.

U-85’s captain must have decided to scuttle and abandon the ship. As the U-boat began to sink at the stern, Roper’s crew watched the German sailors jump into the water and beg to be rescued. During this time, Roper believed it had another sonar contact and not wanting to take any chances of another possible U-boat, Roper rode right through the mass of sailors in the water and dropped an additional 11 depth charges. The depth charges killed the entire U-85 crew.

Roper returned after daylight and recovered the bodies of 29 sailors. The bodies were brought back to Norfolk and later that evening, they were buried in Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia with full military honors under the cover of darkness. Today, visitors to the cemetery can see the graves and read the names of the sailors that were recovered.

Diving U-85

The wreck site of U-85 now rests in about 110 feet (34 m) of water 14 miles (23 km) east of Oregon Inlet along the Outer Banks. The visibility and water temperature vary widely depending on the dynamic, shifting currents. The wreck lies on its starboard side with approximately an approximately 80-degree list. The outer hull is gone at the bow, exposing the pressure hull and the four forward torpedo tubes. Some of these tubes still have visible torpedoes inside. Aft of the conning tower there is visible battle damage from Roper‘s 3-inch deck gun.

“Diving U-85 is the closest that many of us will come to experiencing what it was like during a World War II naval battle,” says NOAA archaeologist Tane Casserley. “You can clearly see the shell damage behind the conning tower caused by USS Roper‘s 3-inch gun. And with its 88-mm gun pointed toward the surface, U-85 looks like it’s still looking for Allied vessels to sink. It’s a truly haunting image.”

Learn more about U-85 and other World War II shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast here. There you’ll also find a 3D model of U-85, a photomosaic, a video, site plan, and dive slate.

An Expanded Sanctuary

In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. HMT Bedfordshire is one vessel included in the proposal.

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

The post Preserving America’s Underwater Battlefield: U-85 appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

U-352 sinks

On April 7, 1942, the German submarine U-352 headed for the U.S. East Coast to begin patrolling the coastline for merchant and Allied vessels. As U-352 reached the U.S. on May 5, it was far out to sea off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Here it began to play a game of cat-and-mouse with a Swedish merchant ship, SS Freden. After several attempts over a two-day period of firing torpedoes and missing, U-352 went to find other targets.

Just a few days later, on May 9, U-352 began the engagement that would end in its demise. U-352’s captain spotted Icarus, a 165-foot (50 m) U.S. Coast Guard cutter, on antisubmarine patrol off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. U-352 closed in for attack, but shortly before the captain fired his torpedoes, Icarus got a sonar contact. U-352 fired at Icarus, but the torpedo either malfunctioned or hit the sea bottom.

In response to the sonar contact, Icarus sent out five depth charges, damaging U-352 so badly that the captain decided to play dead on the ocean floor, hoping to go unnoticed. Icarus continued to drop depth charges systematically and eventually forced U-352 to surface. As the U-352 crew prepared to scuttle the ship before it could be captured, several crewmen emerged from the conning tower. Fearing that they might attempt to man the deck guns, Icarus began delivering heavy machine-gun fire, which resulted in the deaths of several crew members aboard the U-boat.

U-352 sank, making it the first U-boat that the U.S Coast Guard sank off the American East Coast during World War II. Although most of the crew escaped, Icarus did not rescue them immediately. It left the area for approximately an hour to await instructions on how to proceed. When Icarus returned to the site, it collected 33 survivors although one of them died aboard Icarus shortly thereafter. The Icarus took the remaining survivors to Charleston, South Carolina for interrogation. They remained in various POW camps for the duration of the war, often intermingling with survivors from U-701.

Diving U-352

Of the four U-boats off North Carolina’s coast, U-352 was the least successful in its operational career. It sank no ships during the month it patrolled the U.S. coast. However, divers frequent this wreck more often than any other U-boat off North Carolina’s coast. Unlike U-85 and U-701, U-352 rests south of Cape Hatteras off Cape Lookout. Sitting in calmer conditions and in more inviting, warm and clear Gulf Stream water, the site is one of the country’s most popular wreck dives.

Sea life at the wreck site is prolific and typical of a sub-tropical marine ecosystem. Coralline algae heavily encrusts the site, which supports an array of sea anemones and corals. Red barbier baitfish and amberjack swim so densely that they often hinder photographic documentation.

“After studying and writing about the Battle of Atlantic for many years, I finally got the opportunity in 2017 to dive on a U-boat,” says Will Sassorossi, maritime archaeologist for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.

“My first dive was on U-352, and the first thing I remember thinking was just how big and imposing it was as a military vessel, even 75 years later. My mind raced with thoughts of all the vessels German U-boats had sunk in North Carolina waters, and just how frightening it would have been for a merchant ship to come face-to-face with one of these. At the height of the U-boat campaign off North Carolina, it must have felt absolutely terrifying to traverse these waters.”

As with other World War II shipwrecks, U-352 is a war grave with the loss of 15 crew members. Visitors should not disturb the site, leaving the wreck and its artifacts in place for future generations. This wreck is also federally protected by the Sunken Military Craft Act. In September 2015, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries nominated U-352 for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and the nomination was accepted.

Learn more about U-352 and other World War II shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast here.

An Expanded Sanctuary

In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. This will include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. The proposal includes U-352. 

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

The post Preserving America’s Underwater Battlefield: U-352 appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

The SS President Coolidge

The Coolidge, of course, has to take top billing. And not just for its sheer size, but also for its easy access and all the amazing artifacts and creatures you’ll find in its hidden depths. Three dive operators in Santo have well-organized shore-dive access to the Coolidge. From shore, it’s a short walk across the beach before you descend and follow a line down to the bow.

One of the first creatures you’ll meet is Nessie, an enormous long-time resident moray eel who lives in the anchor hole before you descend deeper to explore the cargo holds. Inside you’ll find jeeps, ammunition, a barber’s chair, a row of toilets and, in the deeper and darker cavities, flashlight fish and electric clams.

Deeper still, it’s traditional for divers to enter the old ballroom to find ‘The Lady’ (an old bas-relief of an Elizabethan lady on a horse), and give her a kiss, before descending even deeper to the stern at 229 feet (70 m) for the ultimate bragging-rights photo next the ship’s name.

On the way back up, you’ll find old guns, Coke bottles, gas masks and tea cups for a few more photo opportunities before heading for the deco stop – a beautiful garden of anemones.

The Bonzer Wreck, Hideaway Island, Efate

The Bonzer Wreck is a great wreck dive for first-timers. Sitting at a depth of 79 feet (24 m), the top is only 39 feet (12 m) deep, thusly it’s very accessible for beginner divers. It sits in clear, warm tropical water, surrounded by a pretty coral reef, only a 5-minute boat ride from Hideaway Island Resort.

The dive starts at the edge of a shallow reef and continues through a gully covered in corals of all shapes and colors. On top of a nearby large coral bommie there is an enormous bed of anemones, which is great fun to spend some time watching before heading to the wreck itself, an old tug boat.

The Bonzer is covered in coral, with soft corals feathering the windows of the bridge (which you can swim through) as well as the railings and superstructure on the upper deck. Peek inside to see swarms of glassfish and cleaner shrimp hiding in the corners.

The USS Tucker, Espiritu Santo

The USS Tucker, another WWII casualty, hit a (friendly) mine that split the ship in two. The wreck is a 30-minute boat ride from Luganville jetty at about 82 feet (25 m) deep. It sits on a white, sandy bottom in clear water, close to the mouth of the channel between Aore Island and the main island of Espiritu Santo.

Schools of snapper and jacks circle the exterior, and under the wreckage you’ll find huge gatherings of tiny glassfish in the smaller cavities. Batfish, angelfish and coral trout populate the larger overhangs.

Purple soft corals cling to parts of the engine, winches and superstructure, while sea fans brighten up the darker parts of the deck and hull.

The Semele Federesen, Port Vila, Efate

A 10-minute boat ride from the Nambawan Café on the Port Vila waterfront, this old inter-island cargo vessel was scuttled in 1985. It sank to the bottom of Port Vila Bay at a depth of 124 to 180 feet (38 to 55 m), with the top of the wreck at 98 feet (30 m).

While it’s not for beginners, it’s an easy dive with no current, in crystal-clear and incredibly blue water. You can see the wreck below you from just below the surface as you descend slowly toward it, a silhouette against a rich blue background. As you get closer, you’ll see the exterior is decorated with fans and soft corals of all the colors of the rainbow.

Swim down to the stern and propeller to see the largest sea fans before ascending to shallower depths to explore the very pretty adjacent coral reef.

Million Dollar Beach, Espiritu Santo

At the end of World War II, the U.S. forces had a dilemma. They had shipped millions of dollars’ worth of equipment here over the course of the Pacific war with no easy way to get it back home again, and where they didn’t really need it anyway. Nobody wanted to (or had the money to) buy it and they didn’t want to just give it away.

So, they scuttled it. Literally tipped it over the end of the jetty on what is now called Million Dollar Beach. Jeeps, tractors, cranes and various other large pieces of infrastructure now litter the steep slope from the shoreline into the lagoon.

Schools of juvenile fish have found a home here and the nooks and crannies are a macro-lover’s dream with colorful nudibranchs and feather stars. But the spoils of war truly make this dive site intriguing.

Millions of dollars’ worth of equipment now encrusted with colorful corals — a playground for divers.

The post Five Fantastic Vanuatu Wreck Dives appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

F.W. Abrams Sinks

When U-boats first came to the U.S. in January 1942, there were not enough military resources available to institute a full convoy system for merchant ships. The U.S. Navy had to come up with a solution. They determined vessels were only to travel during daylight hours and find safe harbor at night in coastal ports. However, in some coastal areas there were no deep-water ports that ships could reach in a single day. To remedy the situation, the Navy fashioned a series of anchorages from anti-submarine netting and mines. One of the anchorage areas was southwest of Diamond Shoals, North Carolina.

On June 10, 1942, F.W. Abrams was traveling from Aruba to New York, carrying 90,000 barrels of oil. As the tanker reached North Carolina’s coast that evening, a U.S. Coast Guard patrol vessel escorted it into the protected Diamond Shoals anchorage area. The ship stayed there for the night, and at first light, it prepared to get underway. At 5:45 a.m., the Coast Guard began to guide F.W. Abrams out of the danger area.

As F.W. Abrams followed the patrol vessel out of the minefield, the dreary morning’s weather worsened. Fog, rain, and rough seas caused the ships to lose visual contact. F.W. Abrams proceeded, while the patrol vessel searched for the tanker in vain. After about an hour, F.W. Abrams’s captain thought he was out of the danger area, but he was wrong.

At 6:40 am, an explosion rocked the tanker’s starboard bow. The tanker attempted to retreat to a nearby port, but at about 7:20 am, another explosion violently struck the ship. One crew member thought he saw a submarine on the port side, and the tanker’s crew believed they were under attack by a U-boat. Twenty minutes later, a third and final explosion tore through the port side of the tanker, and the captain gave the order to abandon ship.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard patrol boat attempted to stay in contact with F.W. Abrams, but being unable to find the ship after a couple of hours, it returned to port. F.W. Abrams’s crew safely made the short trip to Ocracoke Naval Station with all 36 men arriving by 12:40 pm. Several days later, the wreck site was observed, and it was clear that the remains of F.W. Abrams were no longer salvageable. The ship had settled bow-first into the sandy bottom with only the masts visible.

Review of the incident, including the location of the vessel as it strayed from its escort in foul weather, convinced Fifth Naval District officers that F.W. Abrams had, in fact, strayed into the minefield. Contrary to its intended purpose to protect against German U-boats, the minefield claimed a casualty.

Resting in just 70 feet (21 m) of water, F.W. Abrams’s masts were visible for years after it sank, and the wreck was considered a navigational hazard. Pilots in training at nearby Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station used the masts as bombing targets, and in 1944, the Navy Salvage Service formally demolished F.W. Abrams to give ships better clearance.

Diving F.W. Abrams

As a result of the shallow depth, moderate relief, and overall size, F.W. Abrams is a popular dive site. The ship still rests in about 70 feet (21 m) of water, sitting upright on a flat, sandy bottom. The tanker is broken in two amidships with a distinct separation of the bow and stern sections. The bow is less intact, which is consistent with the damage caused by the mine strikes. Within a small debris field to the west, north, and south of the main bow area the stem post remains intact.

The tanker’s port side is more complete, extending several feet off the bottom. Much of the tanker’s machinery is still present, including three scotch boilers and associated steam equipment. The engine pistons are evident, but the structure surrounding them is gone. Like at the bow, a small area of debris radiates a short distance from the stern section.

F.W. Abrams is home to an abundance of marine life. The wreck structure offers a haven for fish, sea turtles, corals, mantas, and many other marine creatures. 

In 2016, a group of avocational divers with the Battle of the Atlantic Research and Expedition Group (BAREG) helped document and map the F.W. Abrams site. After taking classes and receiving certification through the Nautical Archaeology Society, the group dove on the site over several days. A tropical storm interrupted their survey work, but they returned in 2017 to finish the job.

 “F.W. Abrams was the fourth North Carolina wreck BAREG had surveyed for the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, and it proved the most difficult,” says Bill Chadwell, operations coordinator for BAREG. “Much of the wreck was buried in sand, and the overall orientation of the wreckage, especially at the bow, complicated our understanding of the wreck site at first, but we were able to successfully complete the project the following year.”

BAREG’s efforts provided a wealth of images and video and helped in the completion of detailed site plan and a photogrammetric 3D model of the site.

Although F.W. Abrams is not considered a war grave because all of the crew survived, it is an important piece of our nation’s history as one of the merchant ships that sank during World War II. We encourage divers to leave the wreck and its artifacts intact for future generations.

To learn more about F.W. Abrams and other World War II shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast, click here.

An Expanded Sanctuary

In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. F.W. Abrams is one vessel included in the proposal.

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

By Shannon Ricles, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

The post Preserving America’s Underwater Battlefield: F.W. Abrams appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

The enchanting shipwreck is now a must-do activity for those with an appetite for adventure and has the potential to become one of Australia’s finest dive experiences.

If you want to explore the inner sections of a mammoth former Royal Australian Navy ship, or you are captivated by the prospect of spotting some of the epic marine life that surrounds the wreck, then the ex-HMAS Tobruk needs to be your next dive.

What is the ex-HMS Tobruk in Queensland?

The ex-HMAS Tobruk is one of the world’s newest wreck diving sites and was officially opened for underwater exploration in late February of 2019. For those who haven’t tried it, wreck diving is like taking part in your own Indiana Jones underwater caper. Minus the hat of course.

Decommissioned in 2015 after 34 years of service, the ex-HMAS Tobruk was sunk in mid-2018 approximately 17 nautical miles (32 km) off the coast, halfway between Hervey Bay and Bundaberg in the Great Sandy Marine Park.

The shallowest part of the wreck lies in 36 feet (11 m) of water, easily accessed by certified open water divers, while more advanced divers will be able to explore the entire wreck, which rests at a depth of 100 feet (30 m).

The waters of the Great Sandy Marine Park are warm year-round and protected from rough weather by the nearby Fraser Island.

What makes it unique?

The ex-HMAS Tobruk is seriously huge 417 feet (127 m) long, meaning it occupies a colossal position on the ocean floor.

Certified wreck divers can swim over 328 feet (100 m) in one direction inside the ship — no tumble turns required. All areas of the ship, including the troop areas, crew quarters, the tank deck and other sections are waiting to be explored. BYO flashlight to check out all the finer details inside the ship.

If going inside the ship makes you feel claustrophobic, don’t stress, there’s more than enough to see outside the wreck (like some of the friendly locals).

What will I see?

A huge variety of marine life – like manta rays, groupers, cod and Spanish mackerel – call Tobruk home so make sure you have your waterproof camera at the ready for your dive.

As breeding turtles have a soft spot for the waters around the Fraser Coast and Bundaberg, our flippered friends are expected to be regulars in and around the wreck.

Divers can also expect to see and hear migrating humpback whales as they traverse through the area from May to November.

How can I dive it?

Both Bundaberg and Hervey Bay are an easy three to four-hour drive north of Brisbane. Both towns also have airports if you’re looking for a speedier trip or are coming from interstate.

You can book a dive on ex-HMAS Tobruk through one of the four experienced dive operators who hold permits to access the site who each offer a standard package of two dives over a total trip time of five to six hours.

Hervey Bay departures:

• Hervey Bay Dive Centre
• Tobruk Dive Centre Hervey Bay

Bundaberg departures:

• Bundaberg Aqua Scuba
• Lady Musgrave Experience

Alternatively, experienced divers with their own boat and equipment can access the site by booking a two-hour time slot via the Bundaberg or Fraser Coast websites.

Guest post by Michael Gosman, Tourism and Events Queensland

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