Diving: Sunken Treasure
1 Jul 2011
Malaysia is home to some of the most stunning biodiverse adventures anywhere in the world. There are natural phenomena, fish, coral and other organic attractions. And then, there are the very much manmade intruders around them. From sunken warplanes to rusty tugs, wrecks not just provide unrivalled exploration potential—the artificial reefs they create can also have their own biodiversity. Here, some of Malaysia’s most alluring marine life and the world’s best wreck dives are showcased.
LAYANG LAYANG
This tiny atoll some 300km north-west of the South China Sea boasts arguably the best diving in Asia. There are over 3,000 varieties of reef fish and spectacular coral, making Layang Layang a mecca for fin-wearing folk, who come here for one special thing, to dive with the elsewhere-elusive Hammerhead shark.
After a bumpy one-hour flight from Kota Kinabalu you’ll come to a screeching halt on the island’s small runway. On Layang Layang, a naval base sits on one end of the island and a four-star dive resort on the other. Visitors enjoy the utmost privacy, exclusivity and comforts offered by resort life.
Divers who come here are guaranteed some of the best diving in the world with numerous coral rich reefs that drop off into the deep blue, the water is clear, warm and beautiful with an extraordinary diversity of marine life, the biggest draw being the schools of Hammerheads that reside in the surrounding waters. But take heed, whether you are able to swim alongside these amazing creatures depends as much on luck as anything. Other attractions include whale sharks, orcas, eagles and manta rays.
Layang Layang is only open from March until August, so is closed for half the year. Dive packages start from USD1,250 per person for six days five nights including accommodation, meals, tanks, weights, and three boat dives a day. Visit www.layanglayang.com for more details.
One of the world’s most desirable and legendary dive spots, Sipadan Island has been closed to resorts and for the public to stay on since 2005. The aim is to turn Sipadan into a World Heritage Site. Certainly there can be few more astounding places to view coral and marine life on Earth.
Waters are calm with excellent visibility. Fellow swimmers will include green turtles, sharks, barracuda, bump-head parrotfish and literally hundreds of other fish. Check out Barracuda Point, Turtle Cavern and the Sipadan Walls for an unforgettable underwater thrill of a lifetime. Borneo Divers know Sipadan well and offer some of the best experiences in Sipadan (as well as destinations in Mabul). They are a PADI 5 Star Development Centre as well as a part of the PADI International Resort Association.
More accessible for beginners and the holidaymaker rather than dedicated diver or someone with a family who can soak up the rays while they go finning, Perhentian Kecil boasts powdery white beaches and postcard perfect crystal blue waters.
The coral teem with life and dive sites are easily accessible. Don’t miss Turtle Beach where hawksbill turtles nest and hatch their eggs. Otherwise, the two main beaches are Coral Bay and Long Beach, unoriginal yet perfectly descriptive names.
Bubu Resort is an excellent place to stay on Long Beach, with good facilities, friendly staff and a solid reputation. Right next door is the Quiver Dive Centre (www.quiver-perhentian.com), a multi-award winning team who offer professional tuition and the largest range of PADI courses on the island. Quiver also has a centre on Coral Bay.
THE WORLD”S BEST WRECKS
Below the surface of the world’s oceans, centuries of human history lie hidden on the seabed. Wreck diving is for many divers the ultimate experience in underwater exploration. There are thousands of popular wreck diving sites throughout the world. Some are artificial wrecks, sunk deliberately to attract visitors, others were lost in disasters.
Many of the most enigmatic shipwrecks occurred during wartime hostilities. Home to an amazing variety of marine life, the story behind these ghostly sunken hulks and their forgotten cargo is often as interesting as the colourful coral that colonises these eerie echoes from the past. But where are the top sites? We offer our suggestions for ten of the best from the rest of the world.
Chuuk Lagoon, Pacific Ocean
In the remote South Pacific, Chuuk (formerly Truk) Lagoon has more than 60 shipwrecks and dozens of sunken aircraft, the remains of the Japanese fleet that was destroyed here in 1944. One of the largest and most fascinating is the 7,000-tonne Fujikawa Maru, a 133-metre freighter that sits upright in easy to reach shallow waters.
Divers can see the heavy artillery on its bow deck, and Zero fighter engines and wings in its hold. You can also swim inside the former bridge area, which contains a number of old sake bottles, now gradually being encased in colourful soft coral. A deeper dive is the San Francisco Maru, which contains mines and tanks.
Menorca, Spain
One of the hottest dive spots in the Mediterranean, there are several easily accessible wrecks around the Spanish Balearic island of Menorca. Divers can explore the wreck of the cargo ship Francisquita, built in 1944. On December 16 1952, after unloading her cargo of cork, she encountered stormy weather and rough seas, and early the following day she struck a submerged rock and sank.
Nearby, the Santa was built in 1947 as a trawler, but was bought by smugglers in 1982. On April 20 1983 she suffered engine failure during a storm. Rescue teams were reportedly kept at bay whilst her crew dumped their cargo of contraband tobacco overboard. Abandoned by her owners, she remained in Mahon harbour fir five years, before being towed out to sea and scuppered in 1988, turning her into an artificial reef.
Roatan bay Islands, Honduras
The remains of partially sunken ships are a common sight around Roatan. They range from the Prince Albert, sunk deliberately in the mid-80s, to the 70-metre El Aguila, a cargo boat sitting on the sandy seabed in 30 metres of water. The latter ran aground and remained there for several years, half submerged.
She was later salvaged and towed into the harbour, whereupon a storm broke her free from her tethers and pushed her onto a reef, causing her to need rescuing a second time. She was eventually scuttled in 1997, and a year later Hurricane Mitch broke her into three pieces, creating new opportunities for wreck divers.
HMAS Perth, Albany, Western Australia
Western Australia became one of the world’s top wreck dive destinations when the de-commissioned Perth was scuttled in the clear waters of King George Sound, near Albany, in November 2001 to create a new reef. The Perth was a 133-metre-long guided missile destroyer with a distinguished service record.
She saw active service during the Vietnam War and remnants of shell damage are still visible. The Perth has become part of a wreck dive trail around the southwest coast of Australia – not far away, the Sanko Harvest in Esperance, is the world’s largest diveable sunken ship.
Solomon Islands, Pacific Ocean
Like Chuuk, the Solomon Islands also saw heavy fighting in World War Two, in particular in the area on and around the island of Guadalcanal. The calm, lake-like waters in the sheltered folds of these islands also provide perfect conditions for diving among the great dinosaur-like hulks of the rusting leviathans, which are now home to masses of fish, from schools of tuna and mackerel to sharks and other wandering ocean giants.
Honiara, the Solomons’ national capital on Guadalcanal, was the centre of a six-month series of battles in 1942 which resulted in the loss of more than 40 ships and planes - mostly in what is now known as Iron Bottom Sound. Some of the wrecks here are just a few metres from the shore. Another local highlight is the Japanese ship Kasi Maru, sunk by American planes off Shortland Island in 1944.
Papua New Guinea
The seas around PNG are yet another Mecca for WWII wreck hunters. This area is well known for its collection of submerged crashed plane, especially in the waters of Kimbe Bay, Milne Bay and Rabaul. The latter was used as a base by the occupying Japanese army and was the target for many American bombing raids.
One plane that took part in these but never made it home was the Blackjack, a B17 Flying Fortress that crashed into the sea in 1943. It lies in about 45 metres of water, and the cockpit and turret guns are clearly Roatan Bay Islands, visible. For such a delicate craft it remains largely intact, although now colonised by coral and fish. Most wreck diving in Rabaul harbour is for experienced divers only, as the sites lie in deep water, but other wrecks outside the harbour are more widely accessible.
SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea
The Red Sea is among the planet’s most popular dive locations with many wonderful sites, but the Thistlegorm is many people’s favourite. This World War Two container ship, probably the world’s most-visited wreck, was bombed in 1941 whilst transporting supplies to the British Army in Alexandria. The 130-metre hull now rests, still almost entirely intact, in clear water some 30 metres below the surface.
Its extraordinary cargo of motorbikes, trucks, jeeps, rifles and radio equipment still occupies the holds, and huge anti-aircraft guns guard the outer decks. The waters here are rich with marine life, and the ship has also now gained a living cargo of barracuda, grouper and other fish.
MV Captain Keith Tibbets, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
The former Russian missile frigate, Destroyer 356, was brought from Cuba to the Cayman Islands in 1996 renamed the Captain Keith Tibbetts. This 90-metre craft was then scuttled in order to create an artificial reef for divers to peer around. Since then, schools of snappers and eels have taken up residence on and within the decaying hull, which storms have since broken in two pieces. Arguably, this latter act has made this an even more fascinating site, since it means whole new parts of the ship can now be accessed and explored with relative ease.
New Caledonia
Protected by a formidable barrier of coral reef that takes no prisoners, New Caledonia, to the east of Australia, has become the final resting place for a large number of ships that have run aground and been wrecked here over the years.
As they inevitably wind up in close proximity to the reef, it doesn’t take long for the coral to relocate and grow around their new artificial homes. This in turn attracts myriads of fish who head there in search of food and shelter.
Many more recent additions are in good condition and easy to reach, making them ideal for diving. Among the more popular hulks are the Dieppoise and the Humboldt—the latter another intentional sinking. At some sites it’s possible to swim inside the ships with the help of an experienced instructor guide.
US Virgin Islands, Caribbean
The US Virgin Islands are a tropical paradise, thus it’s no surprise that numerous craft have been deliberately submerged here over the years in order to attract divers. The Northwind is a 22-metre ocean tug that was left behind following a Hollywood movie shoot.
It was sunk in 1986, and today sits in just 16 metres of water, with an average visibility of 30 to 60 metres, surrounded by rays, yellowtails and even occasional turtles. Other more unusual wrecks have joined it by accident.
The Rosaomaira, a 55-metre Venezuelan freighter, capsized in port while unloading her unbalanced cargo. It turned out the ship’s owner had been attempting to smuggle illegal diesel onboard, so the boat was impounded, towed out to sea and scuppered.
The Suffolk Maid was washed here during a hurricane in 1984. More unusual is a Model A truck, lying in 40 metres of water in an area called Scotch Banks. It reportedly fell off a ship in the 1950s. Truck Lagoon meanwhile contains the remains of five old oil trucks placed there intentionally to encourage reef growth.