BALI (9 Nov 2003) -- THE fingers of light bore into the darkness like rays of sunlight in a cathedral, with an effect just as awe-inspiring and hypnotic. Hovering within the steel carcass of the USS Liberty, with no immediate access to the surface above me, I instinctively glance at my air pressure gauge, even though I know I have plenty of air left in my scuba tank. But such is the effect one gets when inside a wreck, where the emergency drills recreational divers are trained for - the one which teaches you to reach for the surface in low-on-air emergencies - fail to apply. Just as well, then, that my dive team had opted not to penetrate too far into the USS Liberty's deepest holds, choosing instead to navigate our way within two of her well-lit passageways. The USS Liberty was a US cargo ship that had been torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during World War II. Heavily damaged, she managed to limp to Tulamben, on the northern coast of Bali, where her captain beached the vessel. There she laid until decades later, when Mount Agung's cataclysmic eruption violently shoved her off Tulamben's rocky beach and into the sea, where she now rests at about 20m - well within safety depth limits for recreational divers. This was what made the Liberty such a popular wreck for non-technical divers to explore. Of course, the rich variety of marine life, some of which are so used to divers - they come right up to the visiting humans - adds to the thrill of diving it. But for the most part, the Liberty's holds are off-limits to anyone not trained for proper wreck diving. And the training is essential, because the little things that go wrong for the untrained and inexperienced during a normal dive - such as getting lost, losing a buddy, kicking up too much silt or running low on air - may not necessarily be life-threatening, but could mean certain death within a wreck. Says Dr Lee Yee Chun, the Singapore regional director of the British Sub-Aqua Club: 'If you choose to just dive around the wreck, it would be much like diving at any other submerged reef of the same depth. 'But the moment you penetrate the wreck, you have the additional danger of being trapped within it.' He adds that it is extremely easy to run into difficulties within a wreck. For one, it is pitch dark within the holds of a sunken hulk. Even with a good diving light, wreck divers cannot count on seeing where they are going because it is very easy to stir up so much of the powdery silt that blankets everything. He adds that there is also a real danger of getting disoriented, as a wreck of substantial size tends to have a labyrinth of gangways. 'This is compounded if the wreck is not in an upright position.' Other risks divers face include the questionable stability of the wreck itself, the possibility of being ensnared by hanging wires and nets, as well as the danger of being hurt or having their gear damaged by sharp edges. He adds that training lets a diver discover if he is prone to claustrophobia or lygophobia, or the fear of being in dark places, as well as drills them on proper safety precautions, equipment configurations, and the techniques of laying down lines - essential in retracing one's path. Some of the more challenging wrecks in our region include the HMS Prince of Wales and the Repulse. Both were sunk by the Japanese in World War II with a horrific loss of life, and are considered war cemeteries by the British Admiralty. | | Other well-known naval wrecks include the American and Australian wrecks sunk off Labuan in Malaysian Borneo, and a task force of British destroyers sunk by Japanese Kamikaze planes off Phuket as World War II drew to a close. Which brings us to the other kind of wreck. If you thought wrecks are by definition ships, think again. The waters in and around Singapore, Malaysi and Indonesia are dotted with military aircraft harking back to the days of World War II. More common ones include the Japanese Zero fighter plane, but larger aircraft such as the B-29 Superfortress, the same type which had dropped the two atomic bombs over Japan, have also been located. Dr Lee points out that for the accomplished diver, a wreck is a challenge to one's diving skills. He says: 'We have a rich heritage of sunken vessels which to this date remains unexplored. There is much human interest, history, photo opportunities and even underwater archaeology in every wreck, and this is what captivates a lot of wreck divers.' SOURCE - The Straits TimesHistory & Adventure Under the Sea | THERE is something unnatural, almost eerie, about visiting a wreck that has met its fate prematurely in the depths of the world's oceans. In most cases, the circumstances that led to the vessels' sinking were not only unintended, but also tragic, such as due to catastrophic damage suffered in a naval battle. Given their tempestuous history, Southeast Asian waters have a high proportion of these submerged derelicts. Another cause of shipwrecks are storms. While scores of ancient ships sunk in these parts, they make for difficult diving because their wooden hulls and superstructure tend to poorly withstand the test of time and ocean. Also, because such wrecks often hold valuable cargo ranging from gold bars to precious china, their discoveries by salvage teams are often kept secret. Other ships become wrecks due to collisions with other vessels or by ramming into shallow reef formations - sometimes intentionally in an attempt at maritime insurance fraud. In more recent times, with the increasing popularity of diving, ships are intentionally sunk not for insurance fraud, but for the recreational exploration of scuba enthusiasts. Unlike ships sunk in a war or in an accident, the intentional sinking of a vessel allows it to be custom-designed for safe diving. Whether the demise of a vessel was due to brutal battle, savage storms, human incompetence or malfeasance, the end result is always the same - divers get yet another wreck to explore, a ticket to adventure, a trip back in time, and even a lesson in archaeology. Philippines Alma Jane
Info: Action Divers in Puerto Galera
Go to www.actiondivers.com South China Sea Repulse, Prince of Wales, Seven Skies Indonesia USS Liberty, off Tulamben, Bali Thailand King Cruiser Wreck, off Phuket East Malaysia American and Australian wrecks, off Labuan |
|
|
