Welcome back to the channel, SD fans. Wrecks are a massive diver favourite,
and exploring a lump of rusting metal is a highlight for many, including myself. I
am a dedicated wreckhead, and like nothing more than ferreting around in a shipwreck.
But does it matter if it is a genuine wreck, or an artificial reef? In this video, I’ll be
looking at ‘real’ shipwrecks and man-made scuttled ones, and why so many places are sinking ships,
airplanes and even military vehicles as marine habitats and diver attractions.
I love wrecks. They have been my passion since I first started out in diving,
and they have held a curious fascination for me ever since. I still haven’t quite got my
head around how bizarre it is – if an old cargo ship was moored up in a harbour somewhere and you
were given the chance to wander around inside the engine room, you would probably decline the offer,
but when that same vessel is lying in 30-odd metres of water, you have divers
lining up to penetrate into the engine room and superstructure. I have been asked many times
what the lure of shipwrecks is, and I still can’t put my finger on it. It’s just a lust for rust.
Now I am such a wreckhead that I love any sunken metal, be it the victim of a wartime incident
or maritime accident, or an artificial reef sunk specifically for divers,
but there are those out there who dismiss purpose-sunk artefacts out of hand.
‘It’s not a proper wreck’ is something I have heard many, many times over the years, but what
constitutes a ‘proper’ wreck? Why should a cargo ship that went down in a storm, for instance,
be viewed any differently to a freighter specifically sent to the bottom for divers?
They are both ships, they can both be extensively explored, and they will both form the basis for a
healthy marine eco-system once they are colonised, so why the negativity towards artificial reefs?
‘They are too sterile’ is one explanation I have been given. When pressed for more details, this
usually relates to the fact that artificial reefs will have been extensively cleaned and prepared
prior to being sunk, both to protect the marine environment and also to make them as safe as
possible for visiting divers. The latter generally involves cutting entry/exit holes in the hull,
removing or securing doors and hatches, removing any snag hazards such as hanging wires, and so on.
To me, this doesn’t detract from a shipwreck in any way, shape or form, it is still an enjoyable
dive, it is just made as safe as possible, though it is important to remember that any wreck,
genuine or manmade, still represents a serious endeavour if you are planning to penetrate inside,
and it is still possible to get into serious difficulties even in a prepared artificial reef.
People can get very complacent on purpose-sunk wrecks, with fatal results – you only need to
look at the number of deaths on some of the more-high-profile artificial reefs out there,
such as the gigantic Spiegel Grove and Hoyt S Vandenberg in the Florida Keys.
The key thing here is do not venture inside a wreck unless you are suitably trained – regardless
of whether it is purpose-sunk or a genuine wreck, you are still in an overhead environment,
with all of the associated hazards. Also, once a vessel has been on the
seabed for a few years, it will undoubtedly suffer from the effects of being submerged in saltwater.
The Keith Tibbetts in Cayman Brac has been torn in two, as has the Um El Faroud in Malta. And the
aforementioned Spiegel Grove was tilted from being on its side to almost upright by huge swells from
a hurricane. Plus, once encrusting marine growth, corals and sponges get a solid hold on a wreck,
it is hard to differentiate between something put down on purpose and something which sank by
accident. When I first dived the Spiegel Grove – yes, I keep mentioning this wreck, but it is one
of the largest artificial reefs in the world – it was a glistening white, but the last time I dived
it a few years ago, it was smothered in marine growth, literally to the point you can barely
make out the railings, they are that encrusted. I can kind of see the argument relating to the
removal of equipment, leaving just endless empty rooms, but many artificial reefs are not like
that. Purpose-sunk vessels are now being sent to the bottom with some of their original equipment
still in-situ, to give divers something to look at rather than bare rooms. The Kittiwake in the
Cayman Islands still has recompression chambers inside, for instance, and the massive Oriskany
aircraft carrier, the largest artificial reef in the world sunk off Pensacola in Florida,
has control panels, dials and switches. The patrol boat Tyrrel Bay in Grenada has much
of its inner workings intact, including a telephone, compass binnacle and much more.
Another argument I have heard against artificial reefs is that it is just more
man-made junk littering up the oceans. However, I think you have to look at them in context.
Wrecks to be scuttled have to be rigorously cleaned of contaminants
before they are sent to the bottom, and they are generally sunk in a place that has few
fish and little coral growth. The whole idea of artificial reefs in many locations is to take the
pressure off the actual coral reefs by giving divers an entirely new dive site, plus once
colonisation has taken place, the purpose-sunk attraction becomes an inhabited reef as well.
Genuine wrecks around the world are not just shipwrecks,
you can dive on airplanes and so on too, and that is also the case with artificial reefs.
In the Bahamas, you have the remnants of a Cessna aircraft that was sunk as a prop
for one of the rubbish Jaws sequels, as well as a twisted framework of scaffolding poles
that was once in the shape of a Vulcan bomber from a James Bond movie. However, the undoubted leader
when it comes to sinking odd things is Jordan. Here you will find a Hercules C130 aircraft,
or more rightly, the broken remains of one, after a winter storm ravaged it,
along with a TriStar airliner, complete with all its rows of seats and a fully equipped cockpit.
Perhaps the most-unusual dive site in Jordan’s Red Sea waters is the Military Museum, which comprises
a veritable convoy of military vehicles on the sandy seabed between two coral reefs.
Between 20 and 30 metres, you will find armoured cars, light tanks, heavy tanks,
field guns and even attack helicopters. It really is an incredible sight,
and marine life was already moving in to claim its spot within a few weeks of them being down.
The great thing about wrecks, either genuine maritime mishaps, wartime casualties or artificial
reefs, is that they have something for everyone. If you don’t want to ferret around inside,
you don’t have to. If you aren’t really a fan of rusted metal, no worries, there will
be a plentiful range of marine life living on and around the wreck site to keep you occupied.
What is your take on artificial reefs?
What are some of your favourite wreck dives? Leave your comments below, and if you have a question,
fire away – if we can’t answer, maybe someone in our community will be able to. Remember,
if you enjoyed this video, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel,
and check out our ever-growing playlist for more educational and inspirational videos.
As always, stay safe – and if you are going diving, enjoy!