Dive Travel
Wruck Diving in the Philippines
When Ben Davison first approached me about writing a blog for Undercurrent my first thought was "Great, I can write a puff piece about my organization, Seacology, for my favorite dive magazine." But then I channeled the voice of my friend and fellow blogger Bret Giliam saying "Duane, first write about an interesting dive adventure before you discuss Seacology. You've led dive trips all over the world. Write about that." Okay, Brett, I hear you. If readers want to know about Seacology they can read Bret's article of several years ago in Fathoms. Instead I will take this opportunity to write about the wonderful wruck (no, that's not a typo) diving of Coron Bay in the Philippines. During World War II, the Japanese anchored a fleet of ships in Coron Bay, 180 miles southwest of Manila. The ships were well camouflaged and covered with trees so that they would resemble islands. While comparing aerial reconnaissance photos taken at different times, a very perceptive navy analyst realized that several of Coron Bay's "islands" had moved. Orders for an air strike on this Japanese fleet went out and U.S. Hellcat bombers on carriers based 350 miles away soon took off for Coron Bay. Since the bombers had to cover a very long distance before they reached Coron, their time over the Bay before running out of fuel was extremely limited. Some say their actual mission lasted no more than twenty minutes, but in that brief time the entire Japanese fleet was wiped out. Coron Bay now has eleven diveable wrecks, including some, such as the Tae Maru oil tanker, that are over 500 feet long. Most of the dives are somewhere between 30 and 120 feet deep and several of the wrecks still have construction supplies in their holds and anti-aircraft guns on... More »
No Contest
We have taken a long break from blogging because we're putting together an updated version of the Raja Ampat dive guide we produced for Conservation International. The new book will encompass all the of the Bird's Head Seascape, so it's larger and more time consuming to write and illustrate. But we were interested to read the lead article in the latest Undercurrent, the one about Raja Ampat, which must have provoked lots of discussion about the best place to dive. The article and Dave Eagleray's comments certainly provoked some discussion around our house, so we decided to comment. This blog is not about defending Raja Ampat or even where our favorite place to dive might be. This is about the fact that wherever you like to dive is the best place. Our best friend Vickie (she introduced me and Burt so we have a very long term friendship) has been diving about as long as we have. Whenever she takes time away from her busy career, she goes diving. She has the means to travel wherever she wants, and she has known us for over 30 years so she has heard about most of the world's best dive spots. She could have dived with us in Sipadan, Komodo, the Solomons, wherever, but Vickie always goes to the same place: Cozumel. Why? Because she likes it! To her Cozumel is relaxing, easy to get to, and offers plenty of diving, but not enough to get in the way of spending a few evenings partying in town. We don't argue with her about her choice of destination, and we've stopped trying to get her to join us in some faraway, exotic place. We're just happy she's diving and loving it. Another good friend recently gave up diving. He also has the means to travel... More »
WRECK DIVING: A Diver’s Adventure
Most people have a romantic image of the sunken treasure ship sitting upright on her keel with tattered sails still creaking in the current and brass bound chests straining with booty. Well, reality is a bit less dramatic. The classic 16th and 17th century vessels sailing to the New World laden with riches were, of course, of wooden construction. Once sunk they quickly deteriorated due to wave action and other natural elements such as destructive marine teredo worms which fed on the primary wood structure. Those who have been successful in locating and salvaging these vessels have usually spent years researching logs and voyage records to determine the wreck location. Since the wrecks themselves were long buried under sand or coral there was typically no evidence to the divers' naked eye of a lost vessel. Tedious excavation of tons of sand, sediment, and debris was necessary before any cargo could be accessed. As diving wrecks, these older ships offered little in the way of interest unless one was a committed treasure hunter with a considerable war chest of funding. Even then your odds of success were better in the state lottery. [caption id="attachment_971" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="WWII wreck in Solomon Islands after seven decades at depth "][/caption] Although some modern wooden ships are remarkably well preserved in fresh water environments such as the Great Lakes, as a general rule steel vessels have provided divers with the most intriguing wreck diving sites. These ships are better able to withstand the ravages of time and in many cases can survive over a hundred years of entombment while remaining virtually intact. A classic example is the wreck of the Royal Mail Steamer RHONE sunk in 1867 off Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands. Although her stern section sank in 15 to 45 feet of water... More »
BVI: Tranquil Virgins
Back in 1971 I cruised into the British Virgin Islands and dropped anchor at Norman Island just off the famous caves that inspired Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island. I never dreamed at the time that these islands would become a second home for me over the next two decades in the charter and dive industry. My initial foray into diving exploration at the nearby pinnacles known as "The Indians", left me profoundly impressed at the diversity of marine life and radiant water. There was also an unequaled serenity to this island chain of mostly uninhabited islets, cays, and spectacular beaches that was at once breathtaking and tranquil. Sort of a mixed high that left you exhausted from the singular pleasure of doing nothing but soaking in the scenery of a time long past elsewhere in the eastern Caribbean while chafing to see what splendors lurked just beyond the next harbor. For me, the next harbor turned about to be a tiny four-acre resort island called Marina Cay. In those days the hotel consisted of scattered A-frame cottages, each with its own deck and a devastatingly beautiful vista. The generator shut down right after dinner and it was strictly candles and oil lamps for the late night crowd. The resident manager, Joe Giacinto, and I had met at a dive instructor program and we forged an enduring friendship that had me returning time and again. For many, the British Virgins were an enigma. Hard to get to in those days by any conventional transportation and not a high rise hotel resort to be found when you finally did. Air service was spotty and something of an adventure in itself. I remember The Last Resort owner Tony Schnell once commenting that the local airline had recently acquired some new aircraft. He then clarified that the... More »
The Noisy World
America has a coral barrier reef off the Florida Keys. While this is no challenge to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, it does have something Australia does not. For the past 25 years, hundreds of divers and snorkellers have come together for the annual Underwater Music Festival held at Looe Key Reef. Musician-divers mime on whimsical instruments created by a local artist, while a pre-selected radio playlist is streamed live from underwater speakers. Ocean-themed songs, such as the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" and "Octopus's Garden," are featured. Sound travels well through water, indeed faster, and is sensed through the bones of the skull rather than the ears. This produces, we are assured, a "particularly ethereal" impression. The Festival pokes fun at itself and attracts big name musicians such as "Paul McCarpney" and "Ringo Starfish." Australia, however, has not entirely been left behind in the underwater music stakes. An end-of-the-millennium underwater concert in Sydney Harbour, Sonic Waters II, featured a sound system attached to the Shark Bay shark-netting moorings. Divers and snorkellers could listen in - and so could the marine life. A shark was reported to have turned up only to immediately become entangled in the nets. The Sosno and Thevenium are musical instruments specifically designed for playing underwater. Both rely on primary sound being produced by striking; the resulting clangs are amplified and modified electronically. I have not heard these instruments but I can imagine why a shark might turn suicidal. I confess. I am a diver, but have a not-so-secret life as a failed musician. Basically I failed to learn how to play the trumpet, trombone and euphonium, though I used to practice diligently - even when on board dive boats running dive cruises. My lack of talent was actually of some benefit if I had any reluctant divers. A promise of an imminent... More »
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