{"id":26051,"date":"2013-09-24T02:31:01","date_gmt":"2013-09-24T06:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=26051"},"modified":"2013-09-24T02:40:05","modified_gmt":"2013-09-24T06:40:05","slug":"diving-deep-to-view-the-estimated-200-shipwrecks-in-the-waters-surrounding-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=26051","title":{"rendered":"Diving Deep to View the Estimated 200 Shipwrecks in the Waters Surrounding Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

by<\/p>\n

Smriti Daniel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thirty km south-west of Colombo port, the S.S Worcestershire lies some 60 m deep. It is one of an estimated 200 wrecks that garland the island of Sri Lanka. Fascinated by its history, eager to rise to the challenge of a technical dive, Dharshana Jayawardena would later recall his descent to the ship: \u201cAs always, a first glimpse of a deep ship is bone-chilling thrilling.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The wreck of the S.S. Worcestershire. Photo: Dharshana Jayawardena<\/p><\/div>\n

As narcosis envelops your senses what seems to be a large and hazy shadow slowly develops details. Then, at 50 meters we are at the ship and in a strange, deep, lush paradise seen by few.\u201d Dharshana found the WWI wreck enveloped by shoals of fish \u2014 grey snappers, yellow fin trevally, giant trevally and groupers swirling around it.
\n
\nMultiple dives, the discovery of an old chamber pot bearing the legend \u2018Bibby Line\u2019 plus key measurements of the ship\u2019s carcass and location allowed Dharshana to identify the S.S Worcestershire as the vessel that went down in 1917 while en route from Rangoon to London. <\/p>\n

\"Nudibranch<\/a>

Nudibranch or sea slugs. A name that does little justice to their entrancing colours and startlingly beautiful forms. Photos: Nishan Perera\/Island Scuba<\/p><\/div>\n

That such discoveries are still waiting to be made is one of the pleasures of wreck-diving in Sri Lanka, but there are many others. \u201cWrecks are like an oasis in a desert,\u201d says marine biologist and diver Nishan Perera, explaining that here you can see marine life in extraordinary numbers.<\/p>\n

The ocean lays claim to every ship that sinks \u2014 even as the vessel warps and bends under the pressure of the water above, its skeleton is soon encrusted with coral. The coral draws other denizens of the sea and now the abandoned ship has a new crew. Unlike low natural reefs that can run for kilometres, here the coral grows vertically, in dense clusters along railings and rusting bows. More habitat niches and nutrient upwelling as currents deflect off the structure make each wreck a veritable city, a place where, as Dharshana puts it \u201csea life comes to party.\u201d<\/p>\n

The S.S Worcestershire is one of a dozen wrecks sunk around Colombo. A Japanese fighter plane was once spotted but has proved impossible to locate. Newer wrecks offer their own surprises. For instance, visitors to the Car Wreck will find spare parts of cars strewn around the massive carrier. However, the monsoons dictate when divers can go looking for these \u2014 the season on the west coast of the island will kick off in late October-November, and continue till early April before switching to the east coast.<\/p>\n

While locations like Hikkaduwa and Trincomalee have gained fame, Colombo is actually one of the least well known, yet most promising destinations for divers on the island. \u201cWhat makes Colombo stand out is the quality of the shipwrecks \u2014 most of which are intact \u2014 and the super marine life,\u201d says Dharshana. Environmental scientist and underwater photographer Naren Gunasekera of Island Scuba (http:\/\/islandscuba.net\/) agrees: \u201cIt\u2019s one of Sri Lanka\u2019s hidden secrets,\u201d he says. Naren does 80 per cent of his dives here, in his backyard as it were, heading out from Mt. Lavinia beach along the fringes of the city.<\/p>\n

His company frequently hosts divers from abroad, some of whom never venture much further than the dive site before flying back home. Many come looking for sea life, which exists in abundance around wrecks like the Colombo Cargo Wreck (seven km west of the city and lying 30m deep, it allows divers to see schools of fish, stingrays, large groupers and, on occasion, eagle rays, dolphins and whale sharks) and the Medhufaru. The latter rises from a depth of 30m to 15m making it a very popular site for divers at all levels. Here, Dharshana says marine life abounds, and sightings have included lionfish, scorpion fish, eagle rays, huge shoals of baitfish and honeycomb moray. It\u2019s where Naren counts on seeing the most nudibranch. The latter are also known as sea slugs, a name that does little justice to their entrancing colours and startlingly beautiful forms.<\/p>\n

As Nishan will tell you, encountering animals in the ocean is quite unlike any experience you might have on land. \u201cTo me, the appeal of diving is that the connection you make with the wildlife and the elements is far greater. You can\u2019t walk up to a lion on the Serengeti or a leopard in Yala, but you can get so close to the shark.\u201d Immersed in water, a diver also experiences an alien environment intimately: \u201cYou feel the current as a vibration, changes in visibility and temperature affect you \u2014 you\u2019re just more connected,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Some divers, however, have a different focus. Dharshana used to take pictures of marine life before he became fascinated with the history of the wrecks themselves. \u201cFinally that story has become more important,\u201d he confesses. (His book on Sri Lanka\u2019s wrecks \u2014 many of which are catalogued on his site www.divesrilanka.com \u2014 will soon be released.) History buffs like Dharshana find plenty to fascinate them in local waters but the H.M.S Hermes, which sank off Batticaloa in 1942, is particularly noteworthy. The world\u2019s first purpose-built aircraft carrier, the Hermes was taken down in a dramatic attack by Japanese fighter planes and has been included on lists of the top 100 dives in the world. Lying 53m deep, it requires explorers be expert technical divers. But they\u2019re rewarded by an intact, upturned wreck complete with guns, and a reef of black coral, rampant with marine life that includes large tuna, shoals of snapper, barracuda and trevally.<\/p>\n

While some of these deeper wrecks require advanced qualifications, you could be ready to dive a shallow wreck in a week or less. A basic certification costing an estimated $450 and 3-4 days of your time will equip you to dive to 18m. Another $50 on a Deep Adventure Dive course and you\u2019d be able to access 90 per cent of the wrecks around Sri Lanka. You\u2019ll want a qualified diver to accompany you till you gain experience, but it\u2019s quite safe, Naren assures me. Rules that prohibit divers from actually venturing into the wrecks where they risk being trapped or blinded by silt contribute to the local industry\u2019s good safety record.<\/p>\n

The wrecks have more to offer than their first appeal for tourists. <\/p>\n

\"Mixed<\/a>

Mixed school of grunts and snappers on the wreck of the Rangoon, Galle. Photos: Nishan Perera\/Island Scuba<\/p><\/div>\n

As Sri Lanka\u2019s beleaguered corals struggle to survive the pummelling of pollution, sedimentation, irresponsible tourism and climate change, these wrecks are increasingly irreplaceable \u2014 most critically for the fishing community. (Plus, fishermen are forced to embrace the more sustainable line fishing technique over nets that could get tangled on the wreck\u2019s sharp edges.) Local communities see their importance more often than not, and they\u2019re the first to protest when salvagers come calling.<\/p>\n

\"Pecheur<\/a>

Pecheur Breton wreck, Colombo. Photos: Nishan Perera\/Island Scuba<\/p><\/div>\n

While Sri Lanka\u2019s National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) has been struggling to catalogue and protect the wrecks, it\u2019s an uphill task, and implementation remains a challenge. Where countries like the Maldives actually sink ships to create wrecks, local conservationists worry that enough isn\u2019t being done to protect Sri Lanka\u2019s rich underwater heritage. \u201cThe value of the wrecks is immense, people think it\u2019s just a pile of metal, but they\u2019re so much more,\u201d says Nishan. Pointing out that the significance of the shipwrecks in terms of both the environment and tourism rises incrementally with every year that goes by, Naren says: \u201cIt would be wonderful if there was some formal recognition of these sites as having historical value. <\/p>\n

They really need to be better protected.\u201d courtesy: The Hindu<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Smriti Daniel Thirty km south-west of Colombo port, the S.S Worcestershire lies some 60 m deep. It is one of an estimated 200 wrecks that garland the island of Sri Lanka. Fascinated by its history, eager to rise to the challenge of a technical dive, Dharshana Jayawardena would later recall his descent to the …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘Diving Deep to View the Estimated 200 Shipwrecks in the Waters Surrounding Sri Lanka’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26051"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26051"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26120,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26051\/revisions\/26120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}