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FireFlyz | 23
the seabed. Passing her combat information centre and
finning towards the stern of the ship, there are visible signs
of battle on the wreck and some unexploded munitions
still lying inside. One of the
kamikazes
hit the fantail and
its severed ghost is still visible as you swim past the stern.
Time is tight on a deep dive, and so is air. Turning
back from the stern to mid-ship I swam against a gentle
current while picking out signs of the battered remnants
from a bloody battle in the mangled wires strewn across
the dented deck. Some sea snakes had made their homes
in the hull of the wreck and a small number of brightly
coloured fish were nurtured by the empty interior and
its abandoned deck.
A different view
A second dive in the afternoon allowed this avid wreck
fan the opportunity to approach the
USS Emmons
from
the bow before finning along to the mid-ship. An even
stronger image of the destroyer in its former glory was
visible with two large guns still lying mounted on the
front. One of the guns still points to the sky, as if still
fighting off the
kamikaze
attack, and beside it, in the side
of the hull, is a hole more than 20 feet wide where an
inquisitive diver can only guess what caused this fracture.
Further past this, parts of the deck and cargo hold are
clearly visible, although covered in more than 70 years
of seawater disturbed only by a gentle current. Rising
slowly back to the surface in the warm water, around 28
degrees, I surfaced to see the shoreline not far away and
gazed at the now empty sky, imagining the aeronautical
battle that took place there 70 years ago.
The
USS Emmons
is worth a visit as it is a fascinating
memorial to bravery as well as being a challenging wreck
dive for all divers.
Broken tail fan
Finning to the middle of the ship
Unexploded munitions