(intense dramatic music)
- This ship was actually once wanted
by the FBI and INTERPOL,
and here's what we're thinking.
Is it possible that something was missed?
Did the authorities overlook something on the ship,
and is there something still hidden in the remains
of the Hilma Hooker just 100 feet below the waves?
Well, there's only one way to find out.
(epic orchestral music)
How's it going, everybody?
I'm Mark Vins,
and welcome back to another "Blue Wilderness" adventure.
Today, we're in Bonaire, an island just off the coast
of Venezuela at the site of one of the most famous
shipwrecks in all the Caribbean, the Hilma Hooker.
Besides being 100 feet below tropical blue water
amongst some of the most vibrant choral reefs
in all the world, this ship was actually once wanted
by the FBI and INTERPOL and is now infamous for becoming
one of the first major drug busts of its kind in the region.
And here's what we're thinking.
Did the authorities overlook something on the ship,
and is there something still hidden in the remains
of the Hilma Hooker just 100 feet below the waves?
Well, there's only one way to to find out.
Today, we're gonna be doing two tanks each.
The reason we're gonna be doing that is because
we're gonna have limited bottom time at these depths.
So on tank one, we're going to scout the ship
in its entirety looking for entry points.
Tank two, we're going to enter the ship
and look for what's inside.
And with any luck, we're gonna find something
the FBI missed in one of its most wanted shipwrecks.
You know, look, here we are.
This is Mark on number one.
Alright, it's time to dive.
(gentle music)
Here we go.
Diver's going down.
Well, the first set of good news is that the water is warm,
and the visibility is outstanding, today.
And since we want to descend slowly.
We might as well go check out the choral reefs, right?
I mean, the shipwreck's not going anywhere.
Wow, look at how alive this ecosystem is!
There are so many fish here!
And the parrotfish are especially colorful near Bonaire,
just like this one.
And check that out.
That's a peacock flounder.
I love the way they glide across the bottom when they swim.
Oh, wow!
Alright, check this out.
This is so bizarre.
That's a salp chain.
I haven't seen many of these before,
but we should probably come back
and make a full video on them.
They're very interesting.
So definitely let me know in the comments
if this is something you'd like to learn more about.
Alright, getting toward the edge of the reef line now,
but, wow, look at that!
That's a tarpon.
I should say, "Those giant tarpon."
They're huge.
So cool.
Alright, let's head this way.
(ominous music)
Oh my goodness,
there it is,
the Hilma Hooker in all its glory.
Man, it is so much bigger than I expected.
It's massive, look it!
Okay, let's start our survey from the front
and make our way toward the back of the ship,
which is a little bit shallower.
Remember, we're looking for any openings
or places that we can search,
and we only have about 18 minutes left down here.
So we're just looking for opportunities for dive number two.
So we can go right back to that spot
and give it a good look.
Alright, Trent, on this side of the ship
is going to be what we're looking for.
Let's get closer.
Whoa, low bridge there.
Look out.
Okay, well, this is the giant opening
that will give us direct access to the cargo hold,
and it will also be a relatively safe and open place
for us to search.
One thing we want to avoid is putting ourselves
in places without an easy exit.
To search deep within the confines of this boat,
we would need completely different gear.
So today's dive will be limited by those realities.
Okay, this is interesting,
but a very tight squeeze with minimal exits.
Probably can't go through this one.
Let's move on.
I can not get over how huge this boat is.
Look at how far up it goes.
Alright, another tight squeeze here,
but this port looks doable.
Yep, I think this one and the main cargo hold
are our best bets.
Time to head back to the surface and regroup.
Nice job, Trent.
Way to go, bud.
(laughs) Dive number one in the books.
Dive number one was incredible.
First of all, let's talk about the ship itself.
A 235 foot boat sounds big, but when you see it
in person underwater, it is like, whoa!
Covers all your peripheral vision,
and the good news is we did do a complete lap
around the wreck, and we saw multiple points of entry,
which is good news for dive number two.
So on this dive, we're actually gonna go inside the ship
to start looking around.
And as big as it is, I can guarantee you
there's lots of places for things to hide.
So we got a more minutes of interval here on the surface.
We're gonna get geared back up, head back out in the water,
and hope to get lucky.
Alright, there it is.
Let's go down and see what we can find.
(dramatic music)
Well, here goes nothing.
Okay, so the first place we wanna check out
is the center cargo hold.
Any hidden cargo may have drifted or fallen out of place
after all these years the ship has been
slowly disintegrating and collapsing beneath the waves.
So I think we have a decent shot
at spotting something in the open.
Alright, Trent, hold above and keep eyes on me.
I'm going in.
Whoa, the wreck suddenly just got even bigger.
This hold is like a giant cavern,
and you can tell it's been down here for awhile.
Look at all the growth and life
living right on the metal of the hull.
Okay, here's a connector hatch that leads
to the other hold in front of us.
This is safe, plenty of room to move and exit if needed.
Come on through, Trent.
We're good to go over here.
Okay, I see some debris down here at the bottom.
Let's go check it out.
That's not going anywhere.
Thought I might be able to look underneath it,
but that is stuck in place.
Let's move on.
Okay, cool.
I think we found the engine room.
Look at all those pipes.
Well, there's no way we're going in there.
Way too dangerous, but still pretty cool to see.
Would love to came back and explore that room a bit more.
Okay, we've got about a 15 foot hallway here
with a clear exit.
(exhales) I'm going for it.
Trent, meet me on the other side.
This appears doable.
And it's also probably our best and last chance
to find something, today.
Fingers crossed.
Okay, whoa.
There are so many other passages in here.
I definitely couldn't tell that
just looking from the outside.
So many places to search.
I wish we could go further in,
but we just can't risk it.
I have to keep that easy exit in sight at all times,
but I can pop the camera up for a quick peek.
Well, that looks promising.
So many places to hide things on this boat.
I can totally see how it was used for smuggling.
And we're clear.
Alright, let's start our ascent.
Look at how giant that propeller is.
It must be 20 feet blade to blade.
I guess you need a propeller that big
if you're gonna move a boat this huge.
Okay, almost to the surface.
Let's take one last look at the Hilma,
the FBI's most wanted shipwreck.
Oh, man,
that was awesome!
We actually got inside the shipwreck,
going through all those corridors
exploring around with our high-powered dive lights.
Unfortunately, we didn't find anything,
but we had one incredible experience.
And hopefully this is just the first of many
shipwreck explorations to come on "Blue Wilderness."
Alright, still gotta kick our way to shore
so we can wrap up this adventure.
(hoots) This is tiring.
Exploring our first deep water shipwreck was incredible.
Unfortunately, we didn't find anything on that second dive
in the hull of Hilma Hooker,
but that's not to say it isn't out there.
I mean, that a big shipwreck to explore.
And to properly do it,
you would definitely need more bottom time.
And if you wanna keep up with us
as we travel around the world, make sure to follow me
on Instagram @realmarkvins,
and hit that subscribe button and the notification bell
so you don't miss a second of the action ahead.
I'm Mark Vins.
Be brave.
Stay wild.
We'll see you on the next dive.
If you liked this adventure, make sure to go back
and witness our first ever night dive
where we swam alongside giant sleeping lemon sharks.
Oh-oh, that one made us nervous.
(nature music)