| I thought I would update some images from a recent diving trip. This trip was specialised in Ship Wrecks, these tend to be a little more deeper than normal diving so the pictures I came back with are not quite as good or clear as normal…but here are a few.A little video below of non ship wrecks that I took whilst doing some reef diving between wrecks dives….(hit the settings button for HD quality).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JZ5BAPpWv8 A non wreck picture too…a small clown fish in a red anemone…little bugger gave me the run-a-round !
This is the wreck of the Carnatic, (sank 1869) looking head-on as she lays on her side. The ship was carrying £40,000.00 of Gold at the time, (several million in today’s value), 31 people drowned as the ship broke in the middle as it sank.
The main ship I wanted to dive was the SS Thistlegorm. A WWII supply ship which was absolutely laden with valuable equipment for the troops based in East Africa. She lays now over 100 feet down on the sea bed, her cargo still on board and it’s a fascinating dive. The SS Thistlegorm was spotted by two German Heinkel HE-111 aircraft and two bombs dropped on her with devastating impact as it had struck the part of the ship that carried huge amounts of ammunition for the troops. The pics below are taken from the outside of the wreck as it was pitch black and pretty tight getting around inside, so still photography didn’t really work. I will load a short film over the next week of some footage I took from diving in the heart of the ship where on the various decks, Bedford trucks and BSA motorcycles are still lined up, aircraft wings, engines and shells remain untouched.The Thistlegorm laying to rest over 100 feet down, the 120 mm anti aircraft gun still visible on the stern of the ship pointing to the seabed.
On the top desk she was carrying two fully operational Locomotion engines and carriages, the force of the explosion threw the locomotions 60 feet from either side of the ship. These now lay eerily upright on the sea bed, the water was quite dark and it was strange to see these appear slowly out of the gloom once we had located them.
The huge anti aircraft gun positioned at the back of the ship, operated by 9 trained crew.
Additional heavy calibre machine gun specially fitted onto the deck of the ship.
Large unexploded shells lay amongst the wreck.
The ships propeller and my dive buddy….taken on the last dive after spending 2 days going through each deck. The last day we got up at 4.00am to dive and this is us just coming out of the hold of the wreck…the light is quite poor as it’s early sunrise.
A great weeks diving…. |
|
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1307_zpsdf77ad5e.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1014_zps32913c39.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1829_zps47e663b2.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1682_zpsbccb3a44.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1688_zps3c036b21.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1838_zpsb2f02553.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1840_zps273e3235.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1691_zpsb2cd05e0.jpg")
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/img_1823_zpse93bccdd.jpg")
|
Really interesting photos. Quite a change from what you usually post, and rather spooky. Does it feel like that down there, given the history? |
|
| It’s sometimes eerie, the Thistlegorm has everything as people had left it before it was blown up which is poignant, boots left where they were last used etc. I like wreck diving, and if you spend a little time researching what you are going to dive then it brings it all too life a little better. I leave for the Revillagigedo Archipelago (southern tip of Baja California) next month for a two week diving trip which I am looking forward too….this is back to pelagic action, rather than wrecks.
I’ll post some pics when I get back |
|
![]("http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu66/PacificState808/shark.jpg") I’ll post some pics when I get back ![]("http://images.proboards.com/v5/smiley/smiley.png") Looking forward to it!
I’m off to Cuba at the end of March. Hope to do some snorkelling and with luck get a few pictures myself. It’s been awhile. |
|