This was an interesting weekend. It got off to a slow start since SP312 hadn’t been used for a month after the various excursions to the east coast. This wouldn’t normally be a problem except that someone had forgotten to turn off the batteries which as a result were as flat as the proverbial witch. The first order of the day was to swap over the SP125 batteries as diving is usually easier when the boat engines are working. And also the echo-sounder. We were not long out of the harbour when we discovered the electrics weren’t functioning which would make it pretty hard to find the target.
After a short discussion, we decided to press on anyway. The target was the “Sea King 5” which Richard had seen on a Notice to Mariners and which seemed worth checking out. When we got there it was encouraging to see a wreck buoy, meaning that something was down there somewhere. With no other way of checking the sea bed, we tied up to the buoy and went down for a look but despite two separate searches, nothing could be found apart from flat sandy bottom. That might have been that except that during the second dive Mike – using I know not what form of black magic – managed to breathe some life into the echo-sounder. Armed with the proper tool, we soon found some wreckage on the sea bed about 200m from the stated position and promptly went down to have a look.
The “Sea King 5” is a small cargo vessel sitting upright in 28m of water with the bow facing west. The deck is at around 24m depth. Strangely, it appeared to have been stripped of anything valuable or interesting before it sunk – including one of its three propellors. Nevertheless it could be a good dive when it has been down long enough to attract some fish life. At the moment there is a solitary grouper, a small shoal of jacks, and a large barracuda swimming just off the stern but not a lot else.
For anyone interested in taking a look at what is possibly the Gulf’s newest wreck, it can be found at N 25° 34.226 E 55° 17.992. We notified the Sharjah Harbour Master who appreciated this new information.
After a short discussion, we decided to press on anyway. The target was the “Sea King 5” which Richard had seen on a Notice to Mariners and which seemed worth checking out. When we got there it was encouraging to see a wreck buoy, meaning that something was down there somewhere. With no other way of checking the sea bed, we tied up to the buoy and went down for a look but despite two separate searches, nothing could be found apart from flat sandy bottom. That might have been that except that during the second dive Mike – using I know not what form of black magic – managed to breathe some life into the echo-sounder. Armed with the proper tool, we soon found some wreckage on the sea bed about 200m from the stated position and promptly went down to have a look.
The “Sea King 5” is a small cargo vessel sitting upright in 28m of water with the bow facing west. The deck is at around 24m depth. Strangely, it appeared to have been stripped of anything valuable or interesting before it sunk – including one of its three propellors. Nevertheless it could be a good dive when it has been down long enough to attract some fish life. At the moment there is a solitary grouper, a small shoal of jacks, and a large barracuda swimming just off the stern but not a lot else.
For anyone interested in taking a look at what is possibly the Gulf’s newest wreck, it can be found at N 25° 34.226 E 55° 17.992. We notified the Sharjah Harbour Master who appreciated this new information.