Diver Nic - Shinkoku, Fujikawa & Sharks

On Friday I did another set of dives which were unbelievable. I still cannot get used to the feeling underwater when you see these ships. In the morning we visited the ‘Shinkoku Maru’, a massive Jap freighter that is a popular wreck in the Lagoon. It sits upright on the sea floor in perfect condition. The main deck is very big and looks more like the Barrier Reef than a ship. The railings and sides are encrusted with huge corals and fish swim around you as you float along the deck. Large encrusted masts point to the surface ad dozens of tiny colourful fish swarm around them. We explored the stern of the boat, and I was felt dwarfed when compared to the big drop over the edge. Even a large grey reef shark cruised beside the port side of the boat, as schools of tuna swarmed above, sparkling in the sunlight.

We entered the main bridge and visited the old tiled officers shower and bathrooms. We also looked in the surgeon’s room, with tools and bones lying on the table. There were also radios, shoes, cups, and artifacts divers had brought up from below deck. As you exited the bridge you could see the bow stretch out before you, and imagine what it would have looked like back in the 40s. After looking around the whole ship we made a safety stop amidst a group of small jellyfish and large angelfish. I loved every moment.

The next dive was the Fujikawa, a large oil tanker that also sat upright on the sea floor.
We entered the ship through the large hole in its side created by a torpedo that eventually sank it. We made our way up into the ship into a large hold full of doorways, and old steps and metal gangways, through the engine room and up to the deck. Light shone through the large cracks above. The deck of the ship comprises of large cranes and storage holds. Fish gravitated around the encrusted coral cranes, and we explored the holds. The first was full of crushed oil drums. There was a layer of silt on everything and a strange green tinge to the space, in contrast to the blue sea above. Among all the oil drums were the wrecks of complete Zero fighters, wings outstretched. The old controls were intact in the 3 complete cockpits that lay there. Some wings and propellers had broken off and were jutting up as you wound your way through the wreckage. We visited the large bow gun (it was strange because it was a British gun from WW1 on a Jap ship!) before heading to the surface.


After lunch at Pisiwi, we visited Shark island. Hence the name, we dove into shark infested waters where sharks ranging from 1 m to 3m swam around us as we sat on the seafloor. The creatures are very scary but so streamlined and elegant in the water. There was a strange phenomenon where they swim with head raised and mouth open through a certain patch of water full of tiny particles, in order to clean themselves. Hence the place is called a 'shark cleaning station'. We cruised around the island which is surrounded by a vibrant reef, full of fish and sharks. When we climbed into the boat, we dropped lots of fish into the water to watch the sharks go wild. And that was unfortunately the end of the day - an utterly amazing day.