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'Gold in an
Emerald World'
Travelling through Ireland in search of Deep Shipwrecks photographer
Leigh Bishop took
time out for some relaxing shallow water diving on the Ocean Liner
'Laurentic', as he soon found out with gold still
amongst the wreckage the dive makes for a little more excitement
than expected!
The ss Laurentic during the great war
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A maximum depth of 39m/130ft meant that for a
change I was perhaps going to see more on a single wreck dive
than I had in as many years as I could remember. Usually a maximum
of 25 mins is enough on any deep wreck dive but now, as Laurentic
is relatively shallow, I was expecting a heavenly 45mins and
more if I wanted! At 15,000-tons the wreck of the White Star
Lines Laurentic sunk at the mouth of Lough Swilly, Donegal,
Ireland has far more to offer than what my 45min planned bottom
could throw at me. |
Ocean liners present arguably the best calibre
of shipwreck that one could possibly wish for, and, in the case
of the Laurentic the depth means this particular one is accessible
to the majority of open water divers. Interestingly enough gold
bars still remain hidden amongst the broken wreckage from her
once huge 35-ton bullion cargo which if your like me will play
on your mind throughout the entire dive. Having said that the
possibility of actual finding any such gold can be classed as
slim if only due to the heavy salvage attempts the wreck has
seen over the years. The remaining unaccounted for gold was
last searched for in the mid nineteen eighties by a commercial
company aboard the Holga Dane.
Swanage diver Adam Ridges wrote of the account soon
after the salvage, when I caught up with him he told in
detail the story of a single eight- hour dive in which
he practically walked around the entire wreck! Since hearing
Adams story Laurentic was a wreck that was indeed hovering
around the top of my list, even now some years after,
finally getting round to a dive myself was well worth
the wait. The wreck has collapsed substantially over the
last 85 years or so and today her double-ended scotch
boilers mark the highest point of the wreck.
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As if there couldn't be any more a dive could offer yet another
added bonus of a dive on this wreck is the fabulous visibility,
which averages 15-20m often more. Ambient light alone is impressively
efficient. Even on an overcast day it is unlikely you will need
a torch although if you do it would only be for a tantalizing
peek for a glint of gold beneath hull plates & twisted steel.
Ireland is often referred to as the Emerald Isle and if the
coastal waters are anything to go by it soon becomes apparent
to the visiting diver why this country is rightly named so.
The water here and particularly on Laurentic is quite literally
emerald green! Not till you get offshore is there a notable
change in colour as well as an amazing increase in visibility.
The moment I first saw Laurentic I was instantly reminded of
the time capsule this wreck belongs to. The wreck was permanently
buoyed during my stay and was secured fast to a single 4.7"inch
gun pointing sky bound from the forward port section of the
wreck. Laurentic was commandeered to an armed merchant cruiser
by the Royal Navy at the outbreak of the Great War and specifically
elected as one of 15 that were initially equipped with such
guns. |
Diver on the wrecks bow |
There are four guns still to be seen on the wreck today two
exposed the remainder substantially camouflaged by collapsed
wreckage. Lying in a position accessibly exposed to what the
harsh Atlantic weather can often batter her with alongside explosives
and the passage to time has left the wreck badly broken up and
scattered over a wide area. Having said that several key features
of note assist in navigation around the entire site making it
actually difficult to become lost. |
The most recognisable and substantial section
of the wreck has to be that of the very bow tip lying to the
north on its port side amazingly intact. Cut clean off aft
of her fo'c'sle navigating along the southern port side of
the wreck it cannot be missed. Passenger safety railings still
remain fixed in position as does the teak decking here all
of which takes a light covering of anenomes and marine growth.
The bow is clearly impressive and with an abundance of marine
life present very photogenic, the exposed starboard anchor
remains housed with its hawser and mooring bollards easily
distinguishable. Beyond here and now behind us heading due
south is over 550ft of wreck to explore and again as with
the bow lies over to port although in places this will not
become immediately apparent. The entire wreck rests on a reef
which perhaps makes for the clean visibility she lies in and
the huge amount of marine life present don’t appear
to be discouraged from their home by an ever present swell.
Instead Pollock, pout and cookoo wrasse swim aimlessly around
bollards while lobster and crab hide within ceramic toilets
in an effort to avoid the continuing movement.On one occasion
during my stay I dived the wreck the day after a storm, which
left a monster swell over Laurentic from the northwest. Attempts
of hand held time exposure photographs were simply not the
order of the day as I felt the swell continually picking me
up from the seabed and placing me where it actually felt like!
Immediately beyond the bow the diver will see the foredeck
capstans & deck winches, the chain locker itself has rotted
away leaving visible a huge pile of chain that can be seen
splitting into there respective brake and screw slip directions.
Another seldom reminder of her wartime activity as are boxes
of ammunition that litter the wreck, heading south along the
eastern starboard side of the wreck 303's & point five
0's can still be seen in remains of wooden boxes close by
to a large stack of 4.7inch shells.
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Continue
to page 2 of Laurentic article
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