Smyrna shipwreck exploration team

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Artifacts recovered | Smyrna Home Page| Images from the wreck
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All Smyrna pages/images/text unless stated ©Leigh Bishop 2002 all rights reserved

Smyrna Exploration Team June 1993

On the 24th June 1993 five divers left Poole Quay in Dorset England aboard the small
dive charter vessel James Alexandra. At the wheel skipper Dave Saywell, between these
men they would make history in becoming the first divers to investigate the sinking position
of the Aberdeen White Star lines clipper ship Smyrna sunk off the Isle of Wight 1888. For the
divers of the time the wreck rest at a depth of 57m 188ft , the deepest any of them had
ventured to date. Since that day many divers have visited the wreck of Smyrna which in turn
makes for an excellent dive. For more information about how to dive this wreck yourselves see
Dave Wendes's web pages.www.wightspirit.co.uk

The divers of Smyrna exploration June 24th 1993

Dave Wendes, Nick Legrass, Danny Purchass, Mark Ekins, Leigh Bishop
& Skipper Dave Saywell AKA Crustie!

Dave Wendes the man who led the search for the Smyrna

Left; Wight Spirit skipper Dave Wendes the man whom lead the original research
and search for the lost clipper ship Smyrna.
Right; Nick Legrass AKA Uncle Nick Wendes's dive partner of the time see more

Danny Purchase one of the original divers to explore the Smyrna

Deep Image Author Leigh Bishop who has been seen at the occassional spearfishing championship. Aged 24 at the time was also one of the divers who originally explored the wreck of the Smyrna for the first time since she had been lost in 1888

Left; Danny Purchase Deep wreck diver Isle of wight team early 1990's.
Right; Leigh Bishop Deep wreck diver Isle of wight team early 1990's.
(photo taken at the world spear fishing games 1993)

Mark Ekins at the helm of Sundance II back in 1993

Left; Mark Ekins Deep wreck diver Isle of wight team early 1990's. Mark is at the wheel of Wight Spirit previously named Sundance II during a day of wreck search in 1993.

Dave Crustie Saywell the skipper who has Smyrna in his credits click on the image to go to his webpage

Members of the Original Smyrna team and their colleagues who carried out further dives on the Smyrna with them during 1993

Left; Skipper of James Alexandra the man whom along with Dave Wendes
discovered the whereabouts of the shipwreck Smyrna.
To see Dave Saywells webpage click here

Right; A photograph showing the Deep wreck divers from the Isle of wight team
taken during the early 1990's aboard Roger Bayzands boat Sundance II.

The day Smyrna was discovered in June 1993, this is the weather that all wreck divers dream of to go in search of shipwrecks

Above; Leigh Bishop took this photograph just before he entered the water
on the day the team discovered the Smyrna. This beautiful English summers
day of June is what all great wreck diving story's are made of. Dave Wendes
and Nick Legrass enter the water to descend down and secure the anchor line
into the wreck for the remainder to follow.

Dave Wendes and Leigh Bishop after a dive charter to Smyrna during 1993

Dave Wendes and Leigh Bishop relax in late 1993 after one of several
visits to the wreck of Smyrna during that particular wrecking season.
This picture was taken aboard Sundance II skippered at the time by
deep sea fisherman Roger Bayzand.

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TITANIC
Two and a half miles below the Atlantic Ocean lies the most famous of shipwrecks RMS Titanic. DeepImage now brings you the 2003 scientific expedition to the site.
Read the full story here

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