CURACAO Netherland Antilles
Curacao is the middle ABC island and lies 35 miles north of Venezuela.
The port of Williamstad lures more than a quarter of a million cruise ship
tourists a year, and this doesn't include the large amount of other tourists.
Curacao is the center of the ABC island's government and is more heavily
populated and industrious than its sister islands.
Located in the tropics, just 12° north of the Equator, Curaçao has a warm, sunny climate year round. The average temperature is about 27° C (in the mid 80s F). Cooling trade winds blow constantly from the east, picking up in the spring months. The rainy season, which is between October and February, is usually marked by short, occasional showers, mostly at night, and continued sunny weather by day. Total annual rainfall averages only 570 mm (22 inches). Additionally, Curaçao is located on the outer fringes of the hurricane belt. Consequently, the frequency of hits by tropical storms is much lower than for other parts of the Caribbean.
Since the diving in Curacao has only recently become popular, divers will
find the coral formations are in excellent condition. Aside from the untouched
marine life, Curacao offers colorful wall dives and steep, sloping drop offs.
For more information about Curacao visit the Curacao Board of Tourism’s official website – www.curacao-tourism.com
SUPERIOR PRODUCER
The Superior Producer was a 200 foot, steel hulled freighter. In October
of 1977, she was about to begin her voyage from St. Anna bay, Curacao to
Venezuela. Immediately after leaving the harbor, she began to take on
water, listed and sank. At the time of her demise, the Producer was carrying
a mixed cargo that consisted of liquor, clothing, perfume, luggage and
wallets.
Within hours, local divers were in the water diving as many as six times in
one day to salvage all they could from the Producer's cargo. Unfortunately,
many of these divers lacked deep diving experience and many ended up
with the bends as safe diving rules were ignored. As the story goes, it was
the liquor that was harvested first, and there turned out to be some party
that night.
The freighter now rests on a sand bottom in 110 feet of water where the
current is sometimes strong. Sitting upright and intact, the top of her
wheel house is in 80 feet, and her bridge is in 90 feet of water. A toilet
can be found in the room next to the bridge; this spot makes an interesting
photo opportunity. Just be careful of the fire coral on the rim of the seat.
Visibility ranges from 100 to 150 feet.
A large green moray eel has made the deck winch of the Superior Producer
his home. Also seen in the area of the wreck have been large manta rays
and schools of barracuda consisting of twenty to thirty fish.
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TOWBOAT
This tiny wreck, which is also known as the Tug Boat wreck is only about
a mile away from the wreck of the Superior Producer. The Towboat is a
25 foot tug boat that looks exactly like any larger tug, only miniaturized.
The wreck is in the Curacao Underwater Park and is sitting upright on a
white sandy bottom in only 17 feet of water. The Towboat is a very popular
dive for beginners as well as snorkelers. Experienced underwater photographers
also visit this site to shoot both wide angle and macro shots. Some of the
nicer macro photos are of black sea horses that are sometimes found on
the wreck. Divers will find her wheel house an ideal location- for pictures.
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SS Oranje Nassau
According to Curacao.com This wreck can be accessed from the Seaquarium area, a recommended above-water site for visitors. Swim through the lagoon and out to the left (southeast), for about three minutes to the SS Oranje Nassau. A steamship built in 1884 and owned by the Royal West India Company, it grounded during a fierce storm in 1906. Look for very healthy coral, morays and lots of small reef fish.
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MARTINIQUE - French West Indies
The shipwrecks on this island are quite distinct from any other Caribbean
island. Not many people know about what we refer to as "The Truck Lagoon
of the Caribbean". This area contains at least eighteen shipwrecks, most of
which were sunk on the same day. This tragedy sounds bad enough
considering that on most all hands went down with their ships,' but this was
nothing compared to the destruction ashore. The cause behind this
catastrophe was the eruption of Mount Pele's volcano. The date was May
8, lg12. The New York Times reported that over 40,000 people were killed
when the entire cap of the volcano was blown off, followed by a down
pour of molten lava. Captain Whatter of the vessel Roddam, the only ship
in the harbor to stay afloat, reported that he was talking to Joseph Plissono,
who was in a boat alongside, when he saw a tremendous cloud of smoke
and cinders rushing with terrific rapidity over the town and port, completely
and instantly enveloping all in a sheet of flame and raining fire. The suddenness
of this calamity which did not even permit ships at anchor in the Harbor
of St. Pierre to make sail and escape is almost incomprehensible.
Today, Martinique is a quiet, lush, tropical island enjoyed mostly by French
tourists. On land there are still many reminders of the tragedy, but many
have forgotten about the vessels lost in St. Pierre Bay. The following is
information on wrecks that have been found and have become dive sites. Water
temperature on Martinique is generally a constant 80 degrees; visibility
ranges from 80 to 100 feet, but is sometimes reduced drastically due to the
fine volcanic silt that covers the sea bed.
For more information about Martinique visit the Martinique Board of Tourism’s official website – www.martinique.org
CLEMENTINA
The wreck of the vessel Clementina is resting in deep water of over 160
feet. She sits on a flat sand bottom totally covered with volcanic ash.
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DIAMANT
The Diamant is a wood hulled tug boat resting on her side in 100 to 115 feet of water. Her remains are partly deteriorated but her engine and
boilers can easily be recognized. The Diamant was towing a barge at the
time of the eruption, so close by lies the Barge wreck, but it is not intact.
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GABRIELLE
All that is known of this ship is that she was once a wooden, three masted
sailboat. She was riding at anchor with her cargo holds empty at the time
of the eruption. According to Georges Marie Sainte, the Gabrielle's second
officer, the force of the explosion quickly dismasted and capsized her. Five
of her crew were rescued, but all of their hair and clothes were burned off.
The Gabrielle now rests on a sand bottom in 100 to ll5 feet of water.
Divers report that pieces of exquisite china and human bones are still
being found in the wreckage.
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GIALLIA
The Giallia is the only wreck in the bay that was not sunk during the lX)2
eruption. She was a dredge boat that while doing work around St. Pierre
dock in 1930, sunk. She now lies in 100 feet of water and is fairly intact.
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GRAPPLER
The Grappler was a 860 ton cable repair steamer belonging to the West
India and Panama Telegraph Company of London. According to the New
York Times, she was one of the first ships to disappear after the eruption.
The Grappler was lost with all hands aboard. She is now resting in
approximately 105 feet of water.
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ITALIAN YACHT
The wreck of the ltalian Yacht lies on a sloped bottom. Mason Logie,
owner of Dive Away Inc., a New York based company that specializes in
exotic wreck diving, says that her bow is in 65 feet and her stern is in 130
feet of water. Since her sinking, the wreck has deteriorated and has begun
to break up.
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NORTH AMERICAN
The wood remains of the vessel North American lie on a ledge in more
than 160 feet of water. The ship is broken up and has also begun to
deteriorate.
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RAISINIER
The Raisinier is one of the shallowest wrecks in the bay, sitting in only 50
feet of water. According to John Fine's article on "Mont Pele's Underwater
Graveyard" this wreck is very photogenic. Divers can sometimes still find
brass pins, but the wreck has already been picked pretty clean.
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RORAIMA
The Roraimu was a steal hulled Quebec Line steamship, and is the largest
wreck in the bay. She was transporting a cargo of potassium when the
eruption occurred. Her combustible cargo caught fire, and she burned for
three days before sinking. Her burnt remains are now sitting upright with a slight tilt to her port
side. She sits on a sloping bottom where her depth ranges from 160 to 205
feet. The Roraima is mostly intact except for her bow which has broken
down and her stern which has split from the main wreckage.
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TAMAYA
The Tamaya was a 566 ton, three masted iron bark, built in Liverpool in
1862 and owned by Rozier and Nantes. Sunk with all hands, the Tamaya
is now a deep wreck, resting on her starboard side in 260 feet of water
which makes her to deep for sport divers to explore.
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TERESA LO VICO
The Teresa Lo Vico was a two masted sailing vessel, weighing 585 tons
built in 1874. At the time of the eruption, she was carrying a cargo of
building supplies that included tiles, rope, and cement in barrels. When
diving on this fairly intact, large wooden wreck, divers will see tiles stacked
on her deck, rope still coiled, and the now hardened cement cargo which
has taken the form of the wood barrels, now disintegrated, that were once
used for transportation. Three of the Teresa Lo Vico's crew survived the
eruption and sinking. Jean Louis, a mechanic, reported. that the ship was
moored at the foot of Rue d'Orange, only 150 feet offshore. "At 8:00 AM
an enormous mass of the crater detached and was hurled toward the city".
Jean Louis managed to abandon his sinking ship and, with the use of a
small canoe he found adrift, rescued I I sailors from the Bay.
The Teresa Lo Vico now lies on a sloping bottom with depths ranging
from 100 to 120 feet of water.
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SAINT EUSTATIUS - Netherland Antilles
Sint Eustatius is a small island, only four miles long by two miles wide. Aside
from the wreck site we have listed, other underwater interests include the
occasional sightings of rays and turtles. However, Sint Eustatius is a preserve,
so nothing can be brought up from dives; this includes shells, coral and artifacts.
For more information about Sint Eustatius visit the St Eustatius Board of Tourism’s official website – www.statiatourism.com
SUPERMARKET
This area not only contains the remains of one sunken vessel, but a
conglomeration of at least three and possibly as many as seven different
shipwrecks. Spread across the sea floor in 30 feet of water are ballast piles,
anchors, cannons, cannon balls, bottles, clay pipes, and possibly even an old
musket or two. Local laws prohibit the removal of any artifacts, so remember
to look but don't touch. The area also has an abundance of interesting marine
creatures that include an occasional turtle.
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