Dive Pacific Iss 171 Oct- Nov 2019
New Zealand's dive magazine featuring in this issue: Shooting big sharks, up close; Spearfishing at night!; Remembering a great Kiwi dive pioneer, Wade Doak; Forgotten Vanuatu wreck's claim to fame; The invasive Lionfish - in depth, plus all our expert columnists
New Zealand's dive magazine featuring in this issue: Shooting big sharks, up close; Spearfishing at night!; Remembering a great Kiwi dive pioneer, Wade Doak; Forgotten Vanuatu wreck's claim to fame; The invasive Lionfish - in depth, plus all our expert columnists
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
We had the co-ordinates and<br />
we managed to convince Alan<br />
Powers to take us out. We<br />
dropped a shot line where<br />
we hoped she lay and down<br />
we went. Reaching the sandy<br />
bottom at 45 metres we were<br />
disappointed to see nothing but<br />
huge sandbanks. Then looking<br />
behind us we saw a bow wave<br />
of sand, and looking up, the<br />
bow of the Tui Tawate. Here<br />
she was, proudly upright, facing<br />
south west, just waiting for us.<br />
Soft and hard corals taking<br />
hold<br />
We had little current at this<br />
stage so we swum her length<br />
to the prop at the stern then<br />
up to the deck at 41m. Then we<br />
made our way back to the bow.<br />
Beautiful soft corals blossomed,<br />
hard corals were taking hold,<br />
and schooling fish were taking<br />
advantage of the shelter in the<br />
desert-like sand surrounds.<br />
The current picked up and all<br />
too soon we had to start our<br />
ascent, which we did on the<br />
mooring buoy line we had<br />
found attached midship. Three<br />
of us picked our way up the<br />
line, hanging out like sheets<br />
in the wind with the current<br />
now relatively strong. Then,<br />
when we reached the buoy, we<br />
found it submerged, with 10m<br />
of water between us and the<br />
surface.<br />
Dilemma. But as we searched<br />
for an answer, we realised our<br />
shot line was only a couple of<br />
metres away. So we transferred<br />
over and completed our safety<br />
stop there.<br />
Reaching the surface we were<br />
jubilant. We had “found” her<br />
and proven she is indeed a<br />
very worthwhile dive. Sharing<br />
the video footage Russell had<br />
taken certainly gave the dive<br />
operators<br />
at that time<br />
a different<br />
perspective<br />
on the dive<br />
opportunity.<br />
Nowadays<br />
Since then we<br />
have dived the<br />
Tui Tawate<br />
several times.<br />
She is always<br />
a stunning<br />
dive. The<br />
corals are still<br />
there, varying<br />
in condition<br />
and type each<br />
time. She is<br />
always a very<br />
fishy dive,<br />
and there are<br />
often pelagics<br />
lurking on<br />
the edges.<br />
Last time we<br />
saw three small Mahimahi<br />
and a dog tooth tuna. Schools<br />
of yellow snapper loiter on<br />
…She is always a stunning dive. The corals are still there, varying<br />
in condition and type each time…there are often pelagics…last time<br />
we saw three small Mahimahi and a dog tooth tuna…<br />
the decks, and bright orange<br />
Fish on the Tui Tawate<br />
Kingsley hanging on - note the bubbles!<br />
anthias hover in the entrance<br />
ways to the holds below.<br />
Nowadays a maintained<br />
mooring has been placed on<br />
the wreck, and she is offered<br />
by Aore Adventure Sports &<br />
Lodge and Coral Quays as an<br />
alternative to divers wanting a<br />
change from the SS President<br />
Coolidge. But note this is a dive<br />
www.dive-pacific.com 23
Change language