• Pearl S. Buck, American novelist (1892-1973)

Michigan is a water state—in fact, it has the highest percentage of water out of all states in the U.S.—41.5% to be exact. Lake Huron, which is in Michigan and Ontario, is famous for its treacherous waters, ice, and fog, which have claimed the lives of many sailors, such that it was nicknamed “Shipwreck Alley.” There are mysteries still out there, beneath the waters, just waiting to be discovered. Mysteries, such as shipwrecks, that hold the stories from over 200 years of Great Lakes shipping and countless sailors and passengers who traveled the freshwater seas.

Ever since Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was designated in 2000 as the first national marine sanctuary in the Great Lakes, staff and partners have undertaken several expeditions to search for shipwrecks, and have even discovered some that were lost for decades. Probably one of the most notable discoveries within the sanctuary since designation is that of the steamer Choctaw (1892-1915) and wooden bulk freighter Ohio (1873-1894) in historic shipping lanes off Presque Isle, Michigan in Lake Huron. 

On a cool, foggy morning on July 12, 1915, the freighter Wahcondah was traveling east from Fort William, Ontario, carrying a cargo of wheat. The dense fog made it difficult to see, and at 5:30 a.m. the crew noticed another ship in Wahcondah’s path—but it was too late. That ship was Choctaw, carrying a cargo of coal along with Captain Charles A. Fox and his crew of 21 men. The 267-foot, steel semi-whaleback ship sank rapidly, and all lives on board were rescued. Despite search efforts, the exact location of the sunken 1,573 gross ton steel freighter—which was an innovative “monitor” design—remained a mystery for about 100 years. Archaeologists and shipwreck hunters have searched for Choctaw for years, and in 2011, a team of NOAA researchers, university partners, and high school students from Saginaw, Michigan came close to finding it.

In addition to protecting and educating the public about known maritime heritage resources in the sanctuary, the 2009 final management plan for the sanctuary outlined a Research Action Plan that encourages sanctuary staff and partners to locate, document, and analyze shipwreck sites of interest using historical and archival research and advanced technologies such as side-scan sonar. In 2014, after nearly seven years of research and stakeholder engagement and input, NOAA expanded the boundaries of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to 4,300 square miles in order to protect an additional 100 known and suspected historic shipwreck sites. 

This allowed for an exploratory research project funded by NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, where high- -resolution sonars were used to map the bottom of Lake Huron within the northern extents of the expanded sanctuary boundary. Two targets of interest were discovered and investigated. Follow-up investigations carried out between June and August of 2017 included the use of two underwater robots—an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from Michigan Technological University’s Great Lakes Research Center and a remotely operated vehicle provided and piloted by Northwestern Michigan College, as well as direct observations through technical scuba diving.

After carefully observing the features of the wrecks and comparing the images and videos to historical records of the vessels, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary officially announced the discovery of Choctaw and Ohio. When Choctaw’s wreck site was found, Captain Fox’s granddaughter, Ruth Schwartz Fisher, and her niece, Diane Hausler, expressed how relieved they were to finally have closure and that the discovery brought their family back together.

Interestingly, while providing closure on the resting places of Choctaw and Ohio, this project also re-opened the door to another mystery—the whereabouts of the schooner-barge Ironton, the vessel that collided with Ohio. Researchers are still working to uncover that mystery today.

Keeping Shipwrecks and Divers Safe

After a historically significant shipwreck is confirmed in sanctuary waters, it becomes a cultural resource that is routinely monitored and protected. In 2021, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff set out to assess the site, and document and monitor the wreck of Choctaw from a much larger Coast Guard vessel platform. The team was able to get excellent underwater footage of the historical site using an ROV, allowing for closer observation of the wreck’s features. The sanctuary plans to place a mooring buoy at the wreck site, which is about 300 feet deep, in order to protect the wreck from accidental anchor damage and ensure recreational scuba diving safety.

Uncovering Mysteries and Engaging Communities

When a historical shipwreck is discovered, it’s brought back to life. Not only for shipwreck hunters, archaeologists, maritime history-lovers, and the surviving family members of those lost at sea, but for the surrounding community, including K-12 students. In addition to protecting the wreck sites, the sanctuary works with partners to ensure that these findings get translated into oral and visual history in museums, videos, 360 degree virtual experiences, and other outreach products to keep the stories alive and strengthen the surrounding community’s connection to their local waters and American maritime history.

The expeditions that led to the discovery of Choctaw were funded by a grant from NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, and the project was made possible through research partnerships with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, University of Delaware, Michigan Technological University, Northwest Michigan College, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the United States Coast Guard, and University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Undersea Vehicle Program.

Rachel Plunkett is the writer/editor for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Videos and Other Resources

Project Shiphunt

Explore the Blue 360: Shipwreck Alley

Thunder Bay Shipwreck Videos on YouTube

About Choctaw

Pushing the Boundaries: Technology-Driven Exploration

History Meets Technology in Shipwreck Alley

Finding history: The discovery of two lost shipwrecks

Researchers Discover Two Historic Shipwrecks in Thunder Bay

Earth is Blue: Finding History

Great Lakes Maritime Collection Archive

The post History and Economy of the Great Lakes Region appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Logistics

There are some basic decisions to make about the type of diving you would like to do on your trip.

Land or boat based?

At the most fundamental level, you must decide if you’d rather be based on land or a boat. A liveaboard trip is a wonderful way to visit some of the more exclusive dive sites and they’re generally all-inclusive except for some extras like alcoholic drinks and crew tips. However, it means living offshore on a dive boat for several days. If your partner is a non-diver this may not suit them.

Alternatively, at many resorts, you can take day (or even half-day) dive trips. You may leave your hotel in the morning, take part in one or two local dives, and return by early afternoon, allowing your non-diving family or friends to explore on land or relax while you explore beneath the surface.

What is the distance from your hotel to the dive shop?

If you choose a land-based trip, how are you getting to the dive center and onward to the dive site each day? Some dive centers are based within the confines of the hotel; others are independent but will arrange your pick-up and transfers to and from the dive center. Additionally, what is the travel time to/from the dive site? Some ‘local’ dive sites may still require considerable transport time by road or boat.

With the above in mind, consider your personal comfort during the day’s activities. Are refreshments provided? Or will you need to take some food and water with you? Are there facilities onboard such as toilets? How many dives per day? Is there protection from the elements at the dive site or onboard the boat? What is the anticipated time of return to the hotel or resort? Be sure that you’re not chasing the clock with your dives and don’t risk diving too close to your flight home.

Also, be aware of any medical conditions you have that may impact diving. Most dive boats and shops will ask you to fill out a medical screening form, so if there has been any change in your health since you last dove, have a physician’s approval on hand if you answer any questions with a ‘yes.’

Diving

Asking pertinent questions will help you decide if you’re qualified or experienced enough for the diving at your prospective location.

When is the dive season?

Some diving locations, such as the Red Sea, offer year-round diving. However, in other locations, there is a very distinct season, which may be due to weather patterns, such as a monsoon season. Or, it may be for legal reasons, such as a marine park being closed for a period each year. Additionally, if there are a particular marine species that you want to see, research the time of year they are most likely to be present in that area. Do your homework before you book.

What is your dive style?

Not all dives are created equal. If you’re a novice diver or an infrequent diver, inquire about the local diving requirements and technique. For example, if you have a passion for history and wish to explore the wrecks of Scapa Flow, you must have a suitable qualification and experience in a drysuit, colder temperatures and lower visibility. The wrecks are at depth in the challenging conditions of the North Sea and diving them is nothing like a tropical reef.

At the other extreme, some warm, tropical waters are exposed to strong currents as the ocean funnels between channels, around atolls or spirals around pinnacles, creating up and down currents. Diving in these environments requires an aptitude at drift diving and an awareness of your surroundings during the dive. You may have to perform a negative entry at some of these locations or, at the least, you may have to leave the surface as quickly as it’s safe to do so to avoid missing the dive site altogether. Researching the local conditions will help you decide if you feel comfortable with the diving in a particular location. If you don’t, you can obtain the proper training or, alternatively, choose an alternative destination.

Many liveaboard dive vessels in demanding environments require that divers have a minimum of Advanced Open Water qualification (or equivalent), with 50 logged dives. Carrying a dive computer is often also mandatory. This is usually because of the challenges of the individual dive sites, or because most of the sites on the itinerary require the qualification and experience to dive comfortably in the 100-foot (30 m) depth range, often using nitrox.

Equipment

Be sure to pack the equipment you’ll need for the dive environment, for that time of year, and for the itinerary. Ask what may be suitable.

Water temperatures can vary considerably — even in some warmer environments — so ask what the water temperature will be at the depth of your dives and time of year. Consider the cooler temperatures and thermoclines sometimes found at depth. It’s better to be overdressed than too cold during the dive, so pack an appropriate exposure suit, hood, and gloves, if required.

Check any other equipment recommendations for diving in the area. Whether you have a guide or not, SMBs and reels may be mandatory. Each diver may be required to carry a dive computer, and nitrox may be the standard gas. Conversely, when diving in a marine park, gloves, pointers, reef hooks or knives may be forbidden. After some research, it will be easier to decide what equipment of your own you’ll take, and what equipment you may wish to rent locally.

Supervision and groups

Don’t assume you’ll have a dive guide, whether on a boat or diving from land. While in many places a dive guide is standard, it’s not universal. In some areas, such as parts of Australia, a dive guide costs extra. It may be expected that certified divers will plan and execute their dives in buddy pairs independently once briefed. In contrast, in some areas it’s mandatory to dive with a local guide due to local marine-park legislation.

Ask how many divers are typically in each group. Should you have special dive requirements, it’s better to let the dive operation know early. Trip leaders will often split groups into nitrox vs. air, photographers vs. non-photographers, and so on. For example, a photographer in a group of non-photographers is sometimes a frustration for both parties. If you have any doubts or feel your diving may be compromised, you can usually pay for a private guide.

Etiquette

Making the effort to discover the basics of local life will usually pay dividends. What configuration are the local electricity sockets? Do you need to change your currency to local currency for paying bar tabs? Or are US dollars, Euros or British pounds acceptable? What is the tipping etiquette in the local area? Many local boat crews and guides survive on the customer tips they receive, so knowing a realistic tip will help you to budget accordingly.

Additionally, if you’re visiting another country to dive, knowing the basics of the local language enough to be able to say thank-you, please, yes, and no, as a bare minimum, will help you be courteous to the local boat crew.

Conclusion

There is so much more to consider when planning a dive trip than simply choosing a location and flight. Do some work before you go. Intelligent research, along with asking the right questions, can help you have a safer and more rewarding dive trip.

The post Training Fundamentals: Planning a Dive Trip appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Simone Cousteau’s early life

Despite being born on the Mediterranean French coast in 1919, Simone and her family soon moved to Japan. Her father, Henri Melchior, took a job as a director with Air Liquide (France’s main producer of industrial gases at the time). This, surprisingly, was the key to the invention of the aqua lung and the scuba diving apparatus we know today.

In 1937, Simone met Jacques Cousteau — at the time a naval officer — at a cocktail party when she was 17 and he was 26. They married the same year and went on to have two children, both of whom were born on the kitchen table.

Invention of the aqua lung

In 1942, Simone’s father provided financing and the manufacturing expertise of Emile Gagnan at Air Liquide to build the aqua lung. Would the diving industry look as it does today if Simone had never met Jacques? We’ll never know, but things could have turned out quite differently had the stars not aligned.

In no time, the Cousteaus’ zest for aquatic exploration led them to purchase the Calypso, a ship fueled by the family jewels and fur that Simone sold to make the voyage possible. The Calypso set off in 1952 on its maiden voyage to the Red Sea. Simone was the only woman on board.

Life onboard the Calypso

By 1963, Simone had become the world’s first female aquanaut by living in Starfish House, an underwater habitat, alongside her newfound role as mother, healer, nurse and psychiatrist to the all-male crew for 40 years, earning her the nickname “La Bergère,” meaning “The Shepherdess.”

As the world’s first female underwater videographer — arguably the first of either gender — Simone ensured that each exploration achieved its objective, filming the award-winning underwater footage we now associate with Jacques Cousteau for The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Exploration and Adventure.

As Jacques described, “She was the happiest out of camera range, in the crow’s nest of Calypso, for example, scanning the sea for whales. Nothing would get by her.”

He continued, “She lives to spend hour after hour in the wind and the sun, watching, thinking, trying to unravel the mystery of the sea.”

The legacy of Simone Melchior Cousteau lives on, not only in the deep love affair each diver has with the ocean, but also as a voice for conservation of earth’s beauty and biodiversity.

As is all too often the case in history, whispers of inspirational female figures disappear among louder stories we tell about male heroes. Let that not be the case with Simone Melchior Cousteau.

The post Famous Female Divers: Simone Melchior Cousteau appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Frazier began teaching freediving in the 1940s, which was not as popular as it is today. In 1955, she was certified as the first-ever female scuba diving instructor worldwide, despite many considering the job too demanding for women at the time.

This was only the beginning, as Frazier went onto a lot of firsts: she was the first woman to own and operate a dive shop, named the Penguin, as well as one of the first women to ever become a hard-hat diver, and worked as one for several years. She created her own line of wetsuits, as well as creating some for other brands and was, once again, the first woman to ever commercially produce wetsuits and drysuits.

Not only are these remarkable achievements in themselves, but she also completed them in the 1940s and 50s, at a time when women were not exactly expected to be independent and run businesses.

And while doing all of this she also raised four sons — who all became divers of course. Consequently, she created a family dive club for diving couples with children. Members would meet regularly to take turns in diving and watching the kids.

Frazier is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, and you can read more about her adventures in her book, Trailblazer.

Images Copyright Dottie Frazier

The post Famous Female Divers: Dottie Frazier appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Mining in Rummu started in 1938, with inmates from the Rummu Prison — originally known as Murru — mining limestone and marble and living in the quarry in a prison camp. After Estonia gained independence from the USSR in 1991, the government closed the camp and abandoned the site.

While it was operating, the mine pumped groundwater out of the quarry and into the nearby town for use in farms. After it was abandoned, however, the floor of the quarry began to flood again and with it the prison buildings that had housed inmates.  Today there’s an underwater city scattered across the quarry floor, making it a popular dive site.

Diving the prison

The area sits on private property and a bit difficult to access. The owners do invite divers to explore the site on their social media pages, however. The opening hours vary from day to day, so visitors should confirm them via social media or contact the owners before their trip.

Visitors will see some derelict buildings above the surface of the water, covered in graffiti here and there. Dip underwater, though, and find evidence of human inhabitation that seems frozen in time and left to slowly erode away, creating an eerie underwater museum.

Divers can enter the submerged buildings but remember — this is an overhead environment. You’ll need the correct training and experience. There are concrete sheets, lamp posts, barbed wire, tires, pots, mining equipment and other remnants of human inhabitation — some of the windows still feature bars. There’s also an algae-covered flooded forest, consisting of trees of between 10 and 13 feet tall (3 to 4 m).

The visibility here can vary widely, between 16 to 130 feet (5 to 40 m). Visibility is better when the water temperature at the bottom and the top is nearly the same. Thus, winter and mid-summer offer the best visibility. The maximum depth is around 42 feet (13 m) with the average depth between 19 to 33 feet (6 to 10 m). Water temperature ranges between 43 and 72 F (6 to 22 C).

All images courtesy of Abandoned Nordic.

The post Dive an Underwater Prison in Estonia appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

HMT Bedfordshire sinks

The British HMT (His Majesty’s Trawler) Bedfordshire began life in 1935 as a deep-sea fishing trawler for the Arctic. The Royal Navy bought the vessel in October 1939 and converted it for military service as World War II began. After becoming a well-seasoned patrol vessel, the HMT Bedfordshire, along with 23 other ships, began service in U.S. waters. On February 15, 1942, the ships set sail, arriving at the U.S. Naval Yard in Brooklyn, New York. While en route to the U.S., HMT Bedfordshire picked up survivors from the Norwegian merchant ship Tyr, sunk by U-196.

By late March, HMT Bedfordshire began operating off the North Carolina coast, participating in critical convoy duty. On May 7, 1942, it made its last refill stop at Morehead City, North Carolina. It returned to patrol three days later. On May 10, it rendezvoused with another British escort, HMT St. Zeno, off Cape Lookout, to support a small convoy of merchant vessels making their way toward Hatteras. After successfully escorting the ships, HMT Bedfordshire began patrols again, working southwesterly toward Morehead City. 

The evening of May 11, U-558 was patrolling the waters off North Carolina’s coast. A little after 10 pm, it spotted the silhouette of a small lone vessel, HMT Bedfordshire. U-558 followed the boat closely for an hour and finally fired two torpedoes, but neither struck HMT Bedfordshire. U-558’s captain decided to attack again and sent a third torpedo. This one caught the trawler directly amidships along the port side. The ship sank so suddenly that it was unable to make a distress call. Three days passed before anyone realized that HMT Bedfordshire was lost.

Laid to rest

Two coastguardsmen from Ocracoke coastguard station set out along the beach for a routine patrol the morning of May 14. Driving their jeep along the sands, they thought they spotted a swimmer, but instead they found a body. A local fisherman later found a second body. Aycock Brown, a special investigator from the Office of Naval Intelligence, came to Ocracoke to identify the sailors.

The two men, sub-lieutenant Thomas Cunningham and ordinary telegraphist Stanley Craig, were laid to rest in plots next to each other in the local cemetery. About a week later, two more sailors also presumed to be from HMT Bedfordshire were found and buried alongside their shipmates. Other bodies were located from the surrounding waters, but were buried elsewhere.

In 1976, as part of the state’s bicentennial celebration, the site where the four sailors are buried was leased in perpetuity to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Although it remains British property, the U.S. Coast Guard cares for the cemetery. The agency conducts a yearly ceremony to honor those who gave their lives defending our country.

Diving HMT Bedfordshire

HMT Bedfordshire rests in 105 feet (32 m) of water, off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. For the average diver, the conditions are more stable. The inviting Gulf Stream waters makes it a favorite dive for many. Divers visiting the wreck must take heed of unexploded ordinance when visiting the site. 

HMT Bedfordshire lies in two sections resting about 80 feet (25 m) apart. The ship most likely broke into multiple sections when U-558’s torpedo tore into it. However, there is evidence of possible demolition. Allied patrol craft picking up the wreck as an unidentified sonar contact may have dropped depth charges or bombs on the site.

Divers will note that the main section of the wreck is much larger and better defined than the bow piece. At about 145 feet (44 m) long, the section extends from where the bow is broken off to the stern. The steel-hulled vessel has little relief beyond sections of I-beams, hull plates, pipes, machinery, and bulkheads. Sand almost entirely covers the foremost part of this section with the exception of the port side. This area retains vertical portions of hull and frames that protrude through the sand.

About 30 feet (9 m) aft of the hull break, the ship’s boiler sits along the centerline of the wreckage. The single boiler, including a portion of the cylindrical uptake, provides the highest relief on the site at about six feet (2 m). From the boiler toward the stern, much more wreckage remains above the sand and is more distinguishable.

As divers move aft along the site, they will see portions of the reinforced boiler room’s walls. Divers will also see some of the original deck plating, vertical sections of the outer hull, deck-support stanchions, and various other disarticulated constructional elements. Among the wreckage, parts of the main trawl winch are still visible, denoting the vessel’s history as a fishing trawler. Aft of the trawl winch at the very stern of the wreck are remnants of naval fittings and explosives that indicate the vessel’s use as a military vessel when lost. These components include portions of the vessel’s depth-charge rack, depth-charge supports, and multiple unexploded depth charges.

“I cannot describe fully the feeling of reverence I had when I first saw the remains of the vessel,” says Will Sassorossi, maritime archaeologist for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.

“To know that all 37 crew members died on board that night made me more conscious and respectful in exploring the site.”

In describing his first dive on the site, Sassorossi says, “I remember sitting on the deck of our dive boat rather quiet, as I wanted to fully take in what I had just completed. It is hard to describe this feeling, but ultimately I wanted to make sure that those who were lost here were never forgotten.”

As with other World War II shipwrecks, HMT Bedfordshire is a war grave with the loss of the entire 37-member crew. Visitors should not disturb the site, leaving the wreck and its artifacts in place for future generations. In July 2015, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries nominated HMT Bedfordshire for the National Register of Historic Places, and the nomination succeeded. In addition, on January 7, 2016, NOAA entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom for the research, management, and in situ preservation of HMT Bedfordshire.

To learn more about HMT Bedfordshire 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. The proposal 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 HMT Bedfordshire.

To learn more about the proposal, click here.

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

They go further, though, to add “Eudaimonia” to that list. This Greek term roughly translates to “the good life,” “human flourishing” or “well-being.” It not only points to finding happiness and pleasure in life but doing so in a virtuous manner.

What diving does for us

The researchers found that divers derive long-term satisfaction and happiness as eudaimonia through participating in diving. A sense of well-being occurs when we improve our skills and virtues in activities that we are passionate about. As divers, we gain a sense of well-being through learning more about ourselves, others, diving and the underwater environment around us.

Diving offers a number of different avenues to further our education. It starts with learning to dive and continues with improving our skills after initial qualification. Diving offers access to a whole new environment and teaches us how to exist and be comfortable underwater. Most importantly, diving educates us about the wondrous and unique marine life we encounter.

Diving also offers us the opportunity to travel. This in itself is a way of expanding our knowledge and skills through new experiences and cultural emersion. Traveling often leads to positive experiences which, according to the researchers, contributes to obtaining “the good life.”

Enthusiastic divers tend to become more environmentally aware and participate in more environmentally sensitive behavior. Many divers share a sense of responsibility to advocate for and protect the environment, which extends further than just the underwater world.

Personal growth

Divers also experience personal growth through sharing experiences with other divers, strengthening bonds and something academics call “serious leisure.” This refers to leisure activities that encourage self-enrichment, self-expression, self-actualization, recreating or rediscovering yourself, creating social connections and a feeling of belonging. As in diving, these activities usually require special knowledge, skills and training in order to participate.

Individuals can even get to a stage where a serious-leisure activity can become a central point of their life. They may begin to strongly identify with that activity. And let’s be honest — how many of us choose travel destinations based on the quality or uniqueness of the diving or sneak in a quick dive on a business trip?

Creating community

Furthermore, divers grow through the friendships we create with other divers. We create shared experiences, learn from each other and become comfortable with being outside our comfort zone. We also grow as families when we enjoy the sport together.

The researchers even found that the positive experiences, like learning and socializing, are so great that they often outweigh potential negative experiences, such as bad weather conditions and poor visibility.

Ultimately, we dive because diving offers us the opportunity to engage in positive experiences. It gives us satisfaction long after we return to the surface. In short, diving makes us happy and helps us flourish. Now, let’s get back into the water and dive some more.

The post Why We Scuba Dive appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Valerie Taylor

Valerie Taylor was born in Sydney in 1935. She became involved in diving and spearfishing in her early 20s — she has now been diving for over 60 years. She actually met her late husband Ron through a spearfishing club. The couple quickly moved away from spearfishing and started building their own equipment for underwater photography and video.

In the 1960s they became interested in sharks more specifically. They were pioneers in this field, being the first ones to dive with great-white sharks without a cage, and soon started working on movies such as “Blue Water, White Death,” “Jaws,” and “The Blue Lagoon.”

They received criticism from the marine-conservation community for working on “Jaws” for contributing to a movie that has had such a gigantic negative impact on sharks’ image, but Valerie said at the time that the story was a just fiction and they did not expect the success, and therefore impact, to be that big.

The couple also used their imaging to produce renowned books about sharks such as Sharks: Silent Hunters of the Deep.

Still hard at work

Valerie Taylor was one of a handful of women in this field at the time and she reckons that this partly contributed to the couple’s fame. Sharks bit her on a few occasions but that never stopped her from diving with them. Today she is over 80 and still dives and travels to dive.

Valerie Taylor also put a lot of effort toward marine conservation early in her diving career, for which she received several awards including the Order of Australia in 2003. She is still very active in that area and despite saying that the oceans have changed a lot since she first started diving, she is hopeful that there is a way to turn the trend around, even though the underwater environment will never been the same as she knew it decades ago.

She was recently involved in the movie “Blue” and also published a children’s book last year, Melody the Mermaid. Valerie Taylor was, and still is, a true pioneer in the dive field.

The post Famous Female Divers: Valerie Taylor appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Searching for the Roanoke with the Cousteaus

Weeks passed quickly, and the provisional March date arrived along with horrible winds and weather. We delayed the date, but eventually Dive Bermuda, along with Blue Water Divers, met with the Cousteaus and their production team in April to discuss the history and dive plan for the ongoing search.

Stay tuned

Happily, the weather for the chosen date turned out glorious. We conducted two dives off the east end of Bermuda in and around Five Fathom Hole where the Roanoke was scuttled during the American Civil War. I think it fair to say that the dive crews, along with the owners/operators of both dive companies, were somewhat in awe of diving with the grandson of a true legend, along with his lovely wife, and facing a bank of cameras and sound booms.

As to what we saw and found, all will be revealed on June 27^th on the Cousteau’s “Caribbean Pirate Treasure.” Check your local listings for details.

By guest author Mark Diel

The post The Search for the Roanoke Continues appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Highlights of the reunion

For the first time since the wreck was out of the water, divers could see the whole internal structure of the Mary Rose without either the spraying system or drying tubes masking its structure.

 Divers were able to look into the areas they excavated and see the ship’s Tudor artifacts — some of which they might have lifted themselves — displayed in the three long, mirror-image galleries opposite the ship. As they enjoyed dinner in one of the galleries, the divers could also observe the ship through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Alex Hildred, now the Mary Rose Museum’s head of research and curator of ordnance and human remains, and Christopher Dobbs, head of interpretation and maritime archaeology, were among key staff who welcomed former colleagues from around the world. Old friends were some of the 500 divers who helped to excavate the ship. Even today, the project remains the largest underwater archaeological excavation ever undertaken.

The group reminisced about their shared experiences, focusing not only on the recovery of the ship but also on the discovery of thousands of Tudor objects contained inside.

“It was lovely to see so many of the old team, many of whom we hadn’t seen in years, if not decades,” says Hildred. “Diving on the wreck was always exciting, in spite of the poor underwater visibility and challenging conditions in the Solent. Our common goal at the time, the recovery of the Mary Rose, will forever bind the divers.”

“The recovery and subsequent raising of the Mary Rose were tremendously exciting to all of us who took part in the dives,” adds Dobbs. “The anniversary reunions not only enable us to look back at the past but also show that the Mary Rose project is a rich, ongoing project. We present the stories in the new museum in a way that is relevant to non-museum goers and to a twenty-first century audience.”

Festival of Archaeology

The anniversary celebrations also included the Festival of Archaeology. Through talks, special guests and hands-on activities, the museum team showcased the world’s largest underwater excavation, aiming to inspire future archaeologists.

The festival’s “Meet the Mary Rose divers” event enabled visitors to join some of the key members of the dive teams and hear first-hand about the trials and tribulations of excavating underwater.

To mark the 35th anniversary, the Mary Rose also hosted two days of lectures, featuring historians and underwater archaeologists.

Going ballistic — science meets conservation

Years earlier, divers had also raised more than 1,200 of the Mary Rose cannonballs from the seabed. But as seawater and iron are incompatible, corrosion had started to eat away at the metal, weakening the cannonballs’ structure.

Fast forward to 2018 and a ground-breaking partnership between the Mary Rose Museum, University College London and Diamond Light Source. The Mary Rose’s head of conservation Dr. Eleanor Schofield and her colleagues have been working at the cutting-edge of conservation science to protect and preserve the huge haul of cannonballs.

In a contradictory twist, however, the only way to uncover how to preserve the cannonballs has been to sacrifice the integrity of a few. The decision was made in June 2017 to cut a segment from less than 1 percent of the entire collection in order to save the rest.

The cut cannonballs were set in a resin and studied using the very bright light from a synchrotron, which reveals how iron changes as it rusts. This allows development of new protective techniques.

“People often ask me what science has to do with the Mary Rose; the answer is everything,” says Dr. Schofield. “We need the detail Diamond offers because this process often starts at the cellular and molecular level. Science is a vital part of conservation, and it’s great to know that we’re playing our part in preserving our cultural heritage.”

As such, the ship is an ongoing conservation project and divers involved in its recovery have helped raise magnificent Tudor treasures that continue to fascinate young and old alike. It is indeed a must-experience British icon, both enriching and entertaining. A world-class Tudor attraction, the Mary Rose is the like of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

By guest author Martin Macdonald

The post Celebrating the Anniversary of the Mary Rose appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

History of the Urca de Lima

Urca de Lima was part of a flota, or convoy, that set sail in 1715 to deliver goods from Mexico and Manila, the far reaches of Spain’s empire, to Europe. In a time of uncertainty and piracy, the vessels traveled together for safety. Urca de Lima carried exotic cargos like sassafras and vanilla, and more everyday items like cowhides. It did not carry royal treasure, only private silver.

In July 1715, heavy winds from the north and northeast drove the flota relentlessly toward the coast. After the terrible storm, Miguel de Lima noted that his vessel was among the few to survive being battered ashore, and the store-ship played a key role in aiding the survivors. Soon other Spanish vessels reached them, and after salvage they burned Urca de Lima to the waterline to hide its position from English freebooters, who soon arrived looking for plunder.

The wreck, like much of the rest of the 1715 fleet, sank into the sand and faded from history. The wreck is mentioned again in the 1770s, when the British Crown sent marine surveyor Bernard Romans to map the newly-acquired territory of Florida. He and his men noted the shipwreck during their travels.

Modern salvage

Urca de Lima was lost for centuries until hard-hat diver William J. Beach rediscovered it in 1928. He raised cannons and anchors that visitors can still see at Ft. Pierce City Hall. At the time, knowledge of how to treat and conserve metal objects like cannons and anchors was limited. The items deteriorated over time and are currently in a sad state of disrepair. In 1932, the first salvage permit for Urca de Lima was granted. Salvagers visited the site throughout the 1950s and again in the 1980s. The hunt for treasure was not particularly fruitful, however, because the Spanish salvaged the vessel when it sank, and there was little in the way of treasure aboard in the first place. Treasure hunters did recover silver wedges, a silver bar, and a cannon. The site’s modern nickname is “The Wedge Wreck,” after the silver wedges.

Shipwreck as a preserve

The shipwreck is more than an example of a Spanish colonial vessel; it is also Florida’s first Underwater Archaeological Preserve. The dedication of Urca de Lima as a preserve was a decades-long process. The St. Lucie County Board of Commissioners sent the state a request to end salvage on Urca de Lima and petitioned to designate it as an archaeological preserve in 1968. Afraid of losing the site, the community was concerned that further salvage might destroy it, leaving nothing for divers to see.

In addition to the site’s historical value, they also saw it as a matter of tourism. Divers would not want to visit a site that had been destroyed by salvage. St. Lucie County was far ahead of its time in its thinking toward historic preservation, and the idea was shelved until the 1980s. Surveyed and mapped in 1985, the Urca de Lima finally became an Underwater Archaeological Preserve in 1987. All of Florida’s Underwater Archaeological Preserves have followed this first example. Waterfront communities always nominate preserves, rather than the state. Today Florida has 12 preserves, from Ft. Pierce south to the Florida Keys and west to Pensacola.

Diving the shipwreck

Urca de Lima is about two and a half miles (4 km) north of Fort Pierce Inlet. The site is 200 yards (180 m) offshore, in 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 m) of water on the first offshore reef, approximately 1,000 yards (9,900 m) north of the Pepper Park boundary. Divers should use a “divers down” flag when visiting the site.

The remains of the Urca de Lima consist of a hull section emerging from the sand and undersea vegetation. West of the structure is a colonial anchor, placed at the site after looters tried to illegally remove it from an area to the north. The anchor dates to the same period as the shipwreck. South of the structure are five concrete replica cannons, now covered in a marine growth that makes them look like encrusted naval guns. North of the wooden remains is a concrete monument with an embedded bronze plaque that states the importance of the Preserve. In addition to the archaeology, visitors will find sea life such as sea urchins, sea cucumbers, flounder, wrasse and blue tang.

Remember, Florida’s historic shipwreck sites are protected. Souvenir hunting is prohibited. Please take only photos and leave only bubbles. To learn more about Florida’s Underwater Archaeological Preserves visit museumsinthesea.com.

By guest author Franklin Price

The post Florida’s Underwater Archaeological Preserves: The Urca de Lima appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Although its reasons for going down remain a mystery, October 11, 2017, marked the 35^th anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose from the Solent seabed off the coast of Portsmouth. It is the only 16^th-century warship on display anywhere in the world.

Raising the Mary Rose

The ship spent 437 years underwater, until 1982 when it was raised from the seabed and housed at Portsmouth Historic dockyard. The raising was the culmination of years of underwater archaeological work. In 1965, a military historian named Alexander McKee (1918-1992), set out to locate the Mary Rose. What began as a passion project and a fairly amateur operation became something of global phenomenon when an estimated 60 million people watched the raising in 1982. A team of amateur divers worked on the Mary Rose, many of them learning basic archaeological skills in order to support its excavation. Similarly, some of the archaeologists involved learned to scuba dive just to work on the project.

Dr. Alex Hildred, now now head of research and curator of ordnance and human remains at the Mary Rose Trust, was one of the divers who worked on the project. She described the diving conditions in the Solent, the stretch of water off the South coast of the U.K., as challenging. Low visibility was often an issue and, at the beginning of the project, the team only uncovered parts of the ship, with most buried in the mud. The divers worked in trenches and soon discovered thousands of objects preserved there before gradually uncovering the whole ship.

Britain’s Pompeii

Historian David Starkey described the Mary Rose as “Britain’s Pompeii” after divers recovered some 19,000 artifacts along with the shipwreck. Together, they provide fascinating insight into life onboard a 16^th-century warship, and into Tudor life more broadly. Along with guns, ropes, swords and armor, divers recovered personal items such as a backgammon set, musical instruments, nit combs and rosary beads. The ship had a crew of 500 men but tragically only a handful survived, many trapped beneath the anti-boarding netting as the ship went down. Divers found the remains of 179 crew members, although archaeologists were only able to reconstruct 92 of them. Most of the skeletons were found in areas that suggested who they were, such as the cook in the galley. The team found also found a skeleton of a small dog, now housed in the museum and known affectionately as ‘Hatch.’

Conserving the Mary Rose

Conserving the Mary Rose is an ongoing project. In 1982, when it was first raised, the wreck was sprayed with fresh water to remove any remaining sediment and salts, as well as to prevent the wood from drying out. During the 437 years the Mary Rose spent underwater, the cell structure of the timbers weakened. Drying the ship out without treatment would have caused it to shrink and collapse. So, in 1994, the conservation team began to spray the wreckage with polyethylene glycol, a wax that penetrated the wood and replaced the water. Once the levels of penetration were high enough, they could turn off the spray, as they did on April 29, 2013, after 19 years, and allow the ship to dry.

A specially dedicated museum now stands around the ship. Here, visitors can enjoy spectacular views of the ship on three sides via nine galleries through floor-to-ceiling glazing on the lower and main decks. Video projections onto the ship show simulations of the crew at work, a gun crew in action, someone at the mercy of the barber-surgeon, and the cook preparing food in the galley.

Anniversary celebration

To celebrate the 35^th anniversary of the ship’s raising in 2017, divers who originally worked on the wreck site in the 1970s and 1980s — and now based around the world on a range of diving projects — returned to the Mary Rose Museum for a reunion. Stay tuned for our next story covering the event.

By guest author Jessica Niñerola

The post Raising the Shipwreck of the Mary Rose appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

Ohio, a wooden bulk carrier, left from Duluth, Minnesota bound for New York in September 1894, loaded with grain. The ship crossed Lake Superior and then traversed Lake Huron. There, it encountered rough seas 10 miles north of Presque Isle, Michigan. Meanwhile, a steamer was towing two schooners in the same area when they encountered the Ohio. As the vessels were about to pass each other, one of the towlines broke. The Ironton schooner collided with Ohio, causing both ships to sink within 30 minutes. The crew of the Ohio survived, while five crew from the Ironton, including the captain, perished in the accident.

The steel-hulled steamer Choctaw went down in 1915, also off Presque Isle. Stuck in a dense fog with a hold full of coal, the Choctaw was hit by a Canadian steamship, the Wahcondah. Although it sank in only seven minutes, the captain and his entire crew of 21 men were rescued and taken aboard Wahcondah.

Finding the wrecks

In May 2017, a sanctuary-led expedition used high-resolution sonars to map the bottom of Lake Huron, during which they located the two ships.  At the time, researchers were confident they had discovered the 202-foot Ohio and the 266-foot Choctaw.  The team recently confirmed the vessels’ identities using underwater robots to collect photos and video of the shipwrecks.

The sanctuary is planning future expeditions to better understand, manage and interpret Ohio and Choctaw. Sanctuary staff also plan to develop exhibits and public outreach materials to enable divers and the public to access and learn more about these shipwrecks. Preserved by Lake Huron’s cold, freshwater, NOAA will nominate the shipwrecks for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Funded by a grant from NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, the project was made possible through research partnerships with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, University of Delaware, Michigan Technological University, Northwest Michigan College, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

 By Jeff Gray, Superintendent, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

For additional information about Ohio and Choctaw (including video and images) and more details about the expedition, please see Pushing the Boundaries: Technology-driven Exploration of ThunderBay National Marine Sanctuary. 

The post Two Shipwrecks Discovered in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

What is the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory?

The NBL, formally known as the Sonny Carter Training Facility, is named after NASA astronaut Manley Lanier “Sonny” Carter who died April 5^th, 1991, in a commercial airline accident. Within the gigantic facility, opened in December 1995, are facilities such as a hyperbaric and hypobaric chamber system, medical facility with full medical staff including a resident physician, an engineering office, multiple control centers which represent a small-scale lo-fidelity “mission control,” and a 40-foot (12 m) deep, 6.2-million-gallon pool.

The pool itself houses a 1:1 scale version of the International Space Station, which astronauts train on during their astronaut-candidate training and for build-ups in preparation for assigned flight tasks. It’s estimated that for every hour an astronaut spends on an actual task in space, he or she spends at least 10 hours on that same task at the NBL. To complete their tasks, astronauts rely on the assistance of professional divers. The NBL resident dive team currently employs around 40 full-time dive staff, not including medical, administrative, and maintenance personnel, whose main task is to look out for the safety and well-being of the astronauts.

Who are the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory scuba divers?

Divers are assigned to astronauts in sets of four: one camera diver, two safety divers and one utility diver. The camera diver films underwater, ensuring that topside safety personnel have an acceptable view of an astronaut’s facial expressions during descent and ascent and can see any signs or symptoms of DCS. While an astronaut is working, the camera diver is also responsible for getting a good angle on their respective worksite. These shots are for the test conductors — those running the show — and the test directors. They make sure procedures are conducted safely and that they meet spaceflight standards.

The safety divers work in pairs and monitor an astronaut’s safety, as their names imply. The safety divers watch all components of the astronaut. They monitor the astronaut’s face, their suit, their tethers, and their voice. These divers are the first responders and must egress the astronauts safely and efficiently when needed. Safety divers also swim the astronauts to and from worksites when they’re inaccessible.

Utility divers also dive in pairs, each following an astronaut. These divers also set up worksites as directed by Flight Leads and others on the NASA team. On any given day, there are far more people in observing the spaceflight training. Guest divers can include any number of dive-certified NASA engineers, fellow astronauts testing and evaluating tasks, or film crews documenting the facility.

The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory role in training

The NBL’s main priority is to make the astronauts as neutrally buoyant as possible. We do this using rubber-coated lead weights of various sizes/weights, as well as blocks of dense foam. The spacesuits in use at the NBL are all former flight suits. Each has exceeded its shelf-life as a Class I suit and is now a full-time training aid.

The astronauts are weighed-out with these materials via weight packs, placed strategically around their suits. Then, divers place astronauts in one of three orientations underwater: a 45-degree angle facing the floor; on their back parallel to the floor; and on their side(s). Ideally, whenever the divers let go of the astronauts in any orientation, the astronauts will neither sink nor float. There will be no righting moments in any way. This makes the astronaut seemingly neutrally buoyant. Pleural air will inevitably be present in the suit (see Boyle’s Law). This means maintaining the ideal weigh-out is a constant chore.

Astronauts at the NBL spend roughly six hours working nonstop through tasks and scenarios. Divers split this into three two-hour shifts, known as teams. Divers and astronauts breathe a 46-percent nitrox blend, allowing the bottom time required for such training.

Activities at the NBL include more than training men and women for the cosmos. The maintenance facility that adjoins the NBL is home to talented men and women who make components for use in all areas of the facility. The beauty of the NBL lies not only in the magnificent building, pool, and facilities, but also with the entire staff, proud to have even the smallest part in NASA’s mission.

Guest post by Moe Lauchert and John David Narramore

Born in South Korea, raised in Buffalo, New York and residing in Salt Lake City, Utah, Moe Lauchert is a professional photographer, former NASA NBL Diver, and current OWSI. A perpetual student of the sea, he’s never aspiring, always doing. He’s most active during the early light or dusk embarking on the next great adventure. Find more of his images on Instagram.

The post Scuba Diving in the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.