Local divers rediscover a local shipwreck on Koh Tao.

Koh Tao, Thailand - Big Blue Tech internship coordinator Dean Jenkins took several divemaster candidates from Big Blue Diving out to local dive site “Japanese Gardens” to look for the little wooden wreck that disappeared a few months ago.

Using search patterns the wreck was found at 20m about 300m away from it’s origional location. The vanishing story comes from people who saw a large steel boat use the wreck as a mooring, when it encountered big waves it dragged the wreck away but failed to tell anyone where they put it.

Today the text came into the office that the team was successful and a mooring will be put on it, again, so other divers on the island can enjoy it.

For more picture and origional story look here and here

Technical divers explore the new shipwreck off Khao Lak

Khao Lak, Thailand - In August of 2009 the Mv Sea Chart 1, a bulk carrier from Thailand sank in rough waves during a the journey from Myanmar to Vietnam. The vessel was carrying 1200 tonnes of teak wood and sank during rough seas off the coast of Khao Lak. All crew and passengers were rescued and after the Thai Navy surveyed the wreck is was buoyed and opened for diving.

Last month Big Blue Tech conduced 3 days of technical diving during their “Golden Horseshoe Expedition” and found the wreck to be ideal for technical diving because of it’s size and depth.

The wreck now lies on it’s starboard side in 40m with a length of 85m. The wreck is still quite new but marine life continues to grow each day. Every dive conducted on this wreck reveals new passages, doorways and entrances with challenging penetrations and obstacles.

During the 4 technical dives we conducted more penetrations then before and secured many door which were previously locked into the open and tied off position allowing divers to safely enter these areas.

In addition to the wreck we found a “Ghost Pipe Fish” which is a rare type of fish which looks like a spiked piece of coral and always swims facing down. With Lion Fish and other venomous type things everywhere it’s important to look where you’re going at all times to avoid a nasty sting.

Below are pictures from our 2 days of diving.

For more information on the sinking look here at: “Andaman Sea storms sink Thai bulk-carrier”

Technical divers leave Koh Tao heading for Khao Lak on the west coast of Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand - Big Blue Tech departs Koh Tao island heading through Chumphon City to Khao Lak to start the expedition phase of the tech course for Yvonne Fries, Helen Artal, Thomas Hallstrom and Duncan Tyler conducted by TDI Instructor James Thornton-Allan and assisted by Andrew Cavel.

The team departed from Seatran Ferry peir on Koh Tao and headed to Lang Suan Peir in Chumphon. Arriving in Chumphon we were met but a mini bus who would take us on the 4 hour drive to Khao Lak and our hotel which would accomodate us for the night.

While in Khao Lak the tech team will be diving on a technical liveaboard called the Mv Pawara which is owned by Big Blue Diving, the parent company of Big Blue Tech. After the 4 day, 4 night liveaboard in the Similan Islands we’ll be staying in Khao Lak to dive on the Sea Chart 1 shipwreck and a few speed boat trips before heading off to Khao Sok for some cave exploration diving over a few days with a planned return to Koh Tao on the 17th.

Detailed surface photos show the ‘Sea Chart 1′ shipwreck in it’s origional condition

Khao Lak, Thailand - Big Blue Tech discovered these photos during a online search into more information about the Sea Chart Shipwreck and what might of lead to it’s sinking. The official report was rough seas but that is becoming more and more unlikely due to the size of the vessel and intact hull. The Thai Military released a report marking it’s official resting place.

———-

Notice to Mariners
No. 125/2552 (Temporary)
WEST COAST OF THAILAND
Phang - nga, Khao Na Yak Westwards — Wreck.
Details : The merchant ship “SEA CHART 1” has been sunk in the position (WGS84 DATUM)
Lat. 8 ํ 34 ่.50 N., Long. 98 ํ 07 ่.92 E. (Appr.)
Mariners are warned accordingly.
Charts affected : Thai Chart Nos. 353, 307, 362 and 045.
Telegram from : Third Naval Area Command, dated 23 rd August 2009.
Issued by the Hydro-graphic Department,
Royal Thai Navy, Bangkok,
25 th August 2009.

————

The original document can be found here

Additionally the wreck is officially 84m long with a beam of 12m after being built in Thailand in 1970. While we are receiving more information daily from our readers we ask anyone who has more information to please send it for inclusion in this post.

Technical Divers explore further inside the ‘Sea Chart 1′ shipwreck

Khao Lak, Thailand - Big Blue Tech continues their exploration of the ‘Sea Chart 1′ shipwreck off the shore of Khao Lak in Thailand. The dives conduced today were to begin penetration of the inside of the shipwreck including it’s engine room, wheel house, stern hold and bow compartment. These penetrations were conducted in groups with exterior support and conducted over 2 technical dives.

Penetration of the ‘Sea Chart 1′ shipwreck is complicated by the unstable cargo of large hard wood logs which are held in place by steel cable which is slowly rusting and will eventually break under the immense weight applied by the sideways position of the boat.  While many logs have spilled out into the sand, many remain applying a great deal of pressure which restricts penetration to only a few areas.

Additionally the current and visibility improved today alowing further exploration outside the wreck which allowed the team to look at the propellers and hull.

During our dives we found signs that a fire might of contributed to the sinking. Although no actual fire damage could be seen there was fire fighting equipment in use in some areas including fire blankets and a full face mask or BA set used to fight fires. As more dives are conducted more information is revealed about this wreck and it’s condition.

The Sea Chart 1 shipwreck get’s explored by technical divers for the first time

Khao Lak, Thailand - Big Blue Tech conducted accelerated technical dives on the Sea Chart 1 shipwreck on the morning of January 9 2010. The purpose of this dive was to explore the recently sunk shipwreck and expose features to other divers who have been limited by recreational diving rules and restrictions.

Aided by a diving modified longtail the group of technical divers included James Thornton-Allan, Mark Slinn, Matt Payne, Emily Billingham and andy Cavell explored the entire shipwreck in a checkout dive to aid further surveys in the days to come.

The shipwreck lies on it’s starboard side in 40m with it’s highest point at 27m. The wreck itself is a staggering 85m and it feels like crossing a football field when finning from bow to stern.

Big Blue Tech have a strict policy againts removing items from wrecks and therefore didn’t disturb any of the items found on there. However, there were signs of items being removed which can only be recognized if you knew what to look for, items like the ships bell and compass have been removed by either recreational divers before us or the navy divers during their survey.

The next few days would be focused around this shipwreck with 2 dives daily on the 10th, 11th and 12th we will be updating this post with pictures as the dives are completed.

Moviemaker JAMES CAMERON has revealed the biggest film of all time was only made to fund a deep-sea mission to the real Titanic.

The director admits he had no intention of making an epic when he set out to film Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1997 movie - he just wanted to make enough money to go on a dream dive.

He tells Playboy magazine, “I made Titanic because I wanted to dive to the shipwreck, not because I particularly wanted to make the movie.

“The Titanic was the Mount Everest of shipwrecks, and, as a diver, I wanted to do it right.

“When I learned some other guys had dived to the Titanic to make an IMAX (jumbo-screen) movie, I said. ‘I’ll make a Hollywood movie to pay for an expedition to do the same thing.’

“Titanic was about ‘f**k you money’. It came along at a point in my life when I said, ‘I can make movies until I’m 80, but I can’t do expedition stuff when I’m 80.’”

Hidden dangers:

A shipwreck is often the only thing standing up from a flat seabed plain. Consequently, it becomes a magnet for all kinds of fish, shellfish and other marine life. Big conger eels live in most shipwrecks. Lobsters call them home. So do big crabs. And huge shoals of pouting and pollack are always to be found circling around.However, there are serious dangers that must be watched. There is little danger from sealife as big congers will not attack you, nor will big lobster or crab unless you put your hand in their claws.

The real dangers are the depth and the time spent underwater which must never be forgotten. Decompression sickness - the “bends” - is always waiting to strike divers who break the rules and make fast ascents from deep wrecks. The British Sub-Aqua Club has always recommended 50 metres as the sensible limit for experienced amateurs diving using compressed air. Wreck divers should stick to that limit, even though modern gas mixtures appear more tolerant than compressed air. They should be wary too of their depth when exploring the ship. The inside may be much deeper than the outside if the ship has sunk into a soft seabed.

Wreck diving is not for the inexperienced and has it’s own special dangers. Like all amateur diving, it is never carried out alone. There is the risk of running low on air due to becoming absorbed in exploring the wreck, or getting entangled in a fishing net (sometimes many nets are draped over one ship). The wreck diver is bound to consider exploring inside the wreck if a suitable hole or entrance is found. However wreck penetration is the most dangerous part of this kind of diving.

Even swimming under a piece of wreckage is dangerous. Hanging wreckage may be so unstable that it will fall because of the disturbance which is caused by the diver’s exhaust bubbles or fin movements. One diver on a wreck recently was trapped by a steel door falling on him and pinning him to the seabed. He was saved by the prompt action of his buddy diver.

Forbidden wrecks:

A number of divers have died trapped in wrecks. Silting of a wreck takes place very quickly after her sinking. This makes it very dangerous to enter a wreck without some foolproof method of return to a clear exit point. One such method is a lifeline. A few fin strokes inside a wreck are enough to turn visibility into absolute zero. In that black cloud, even the powerful torches which every wreck diver carries, could not show them a way out to the open sea. Wreck penetration is not a spur of the moment thing. It has to be carefully planned in the same way as cave diving.

There are certain wrecks that are protected by law. These are wrecks of historic importance and “War Graves”. Forty-eight wrecks dating from a Bronze Age galley to a submarine of 1880 are designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act of 1973 and all diving on them is banned without special permission. A classic example of this kind of wreck is Henry VIII’s flagship Mary Rose, sunk in 1545. After being found by amateur divers, she was protected until raised and put on show at Portsmouth. It is also possible to see some protected wrecks through the Nautical Archaeology Society.

The Military Remains Act of 1986 puts other restrictions on some wrecks of ships and aircraft “known to contain remains of service personnel”. Though divers may visit these “war graves”, it is only on a look-but-no-touch basis. Divers may not enter such wrecks, disturb them or remove any artifacts.

Wreck divers like to collect souvenirs from wrecks but every item recovered from a wreck must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck at the Coastguard Agency in Southampton. In the case of a small fairly modern item, such as a porthole, the diver is usually allowed to keep it. Other more valuable items are held by the Receiver for a year and a day and, if not claimed by their owner during that time, become the property of the Crown. They then may be auctioned. In such a case the diver is entitled to a salvage award from the proceeds.

Faux Cap, Madagascar – Toxic waste from a ship which went down off the coast in southern Madagascar in August has had severe impacts on the health of local people and on the rich coastal and marine environment, according to a study supported by WWF.

The Turkish vessel Gulser Ana grounded near Faux Cap in the very south of Madagascar The ship carried 39000 tons of raw Phosphates, 568 tons of fuel, 66 tons of diesel and 8000 litres of lubricant, most of which was slowly released into the Indian Ocean. The accident occurred in a whale reproduction and migratory corridor zone during the migratory season.

The report, co-funded by WWF was prepared by an interdisciplinary team of eight scientists which went to Faux Cap shortly after the accident.

While one to three whales normally beach in the area each year, nine whales beached in September alone, and some beach stretches seem to be real death zones, the report found., Villagers suffer from diseases such as respiratory problems, skin diseases and diarrhoea.

“WWF is very concerned about the possible negative impacts on biodiversity especially marine and coastal species, the threats to the ecosystems and the loss of people’s livelihood options. That’s why we decided to fund this mission,” said Harifidy Olivier Ralison, WWF Western Indian Ocean Marine Programme Coordinator.

Oil clumps cover the beach 30 km to the east and even further to the west of the shipwreck. People who were hired to clean up the area are not equipped properly and lack clothes protecting them. The collected oil clumps land in plastic bags on the beach where they are
likely to burst and cause further damage, the report founds.

Almost half the 40′000 people in the area have been affected by consequences of the shipwreck, the study found with a key impact being the banning of fishing for three months.
Some 25 to 40 percent of the inhabitants depend on fishery as their source of income.

The impacts on marine species are also tragic.

« Like human beings, whales suffer from respiratory problems due to diesel odour. They come to the surface from time to time to breathe, so if they happen to surface through an oil film, this might result in the animal’s death,” Yvette Razafindrakoto, WCS (spell out) marine mammal specialist said.

Although raw phosphate is not poisonous, a huge amount of it being suddenly released into the ocean can be problematic. The expert team found signs of eutrophication in front of the shipwreck. « Phosphate acts like fertilizer, which leads to an extensive algal bloom. This depletes the oxygen in the surrounding marine environment and could cause the disappearance of species such as fish and molluscs» said Ralison.

Some common species of sand crabs were also only found sporadically and other species, such as various gastropods contained a very high amount of heavy metal, which is connected to higher mortality.

There are signs that the food chain in the area around Faux Cap is severely harmed. What this means for the coastal ecosystem and the villagers on the contaminated beaches can only be definitively estimated after the passage of some years, the report said.

For more information please contact:

Martina Lippuner, +261 20 22 348 85, mlippuner@wwf.mg

The Reef Dive Resort at Pulau Mataking, Sabah is a hide-away island of just some 20 acres divided between 2 islands, Mataking Kecil and Mataking Besar.

The resort prides itself in both a professional image and in developing eco-tourism and a go-green culture.
Our surrounding seas and wildlife are very precious to the island, which is why conservation is taken so seriously. Developing such projects as the reef ball initiative and turtle hatchery schemes stand this resort out amongst many others in the Sabah area.

In 19th Mac 2006, the successful sinking of The Shipwreck Pos created the islands first artificial reef and in just 3 years great development was seen at this site. This vessel was actually brought to fame when she was sunk as the first underwater post box in Malaysia, and she has attracted many different species of both coral and aquatic life creating a new environment for this wildlife to flourish.

Now, some 3 years later, the Pos has begun to deteriorate, with her wooden frame beginning to collapse due to the salt water integration of her delicate structure.

In an effort to further enhance the underwater environment around the island, on Saturday 26th September, the Reef Dive Resort created its 2nd artificial reef, in the shape of the MV Sipadan Mermaid, a 52ft steel hulled vessel.

Amongst the international guests were representatives from WWF(non government organization) and local government authorities who were all taken back by the event and efforts put in by the resort.

The dive team started to flood the ship at 11.15am and after 55 minutes, the MV Sipadan Mermaid finally gave in and began to sink very quickly at the assigned position.
Originally starting her life as a Norwegian fishing boat, the Mermaid was responsible for many successful trips at sea, including along the coasts of Malaysia.
As the Mermaid became older and it has become less cost-effective to maintain her, great thought was put into what should be done with her.

Managing Director of the resort, Mr. David Sie who kindly donated the Mermaid, officially opened the sinking ceremony as the vessel began her final voyage to the bottom of the sea. Mr. Sie said, “The sinking of this new wreck will help us build up the fragile ecosystem at the island whilst easing the pressure off the Sipadan. We hope to see new life on this reef within a matter of months as it creates a new home for many different types of marine animal”.

Resort Manager at the resort Mr. Luke J Cox was responsible for coordinating the event who said, “The sinking of this wreck marks the end of the Mermaid’s life as a boat and the start of her life as a living reef. Within the next 2 months, the marine biology team on the island will begin a full coral transplant programme onto the wreck site which will be a haven for aquatic life and divers alike. The Mermaid in her new position, sitting in approximately 20-25 metres of water, will literally be putting something back into the environment, as she releases new life into the seas around her.

The resort has worked tirelessly with Project Aware, a charity-based project affiliated to PADI (The Professional Association of Diving Instructors) who have actively supported this project from the beginning.

The management also expresses special thanks to all companies, sponsors and staff who have contributed in one way or the other to the event. Project Aware continue to support the resort and all others worldwide in an effort to increase awareness surrounding the fragility of reefs and underwater eco-systems.

The special event ended with a lavish dinner, games and cultural performances from staff as a celebration for the success sinking of the MV Sipadan Mermaid.

The 138 metre guided-missile frigate acquired by Victoria in 2006 will now become a much sought-after dive site 30 metres below the surface.

About 16 charges located in the ship’s hull were detonated about 2pm (AEST) on Sunday, creating a soft popping noise and a puff of grey smoke. Water flowed through pre-made holes in the ship and it sank in about two minutes.

Commercial clearance divers were expected to survey the wreck once it had settled later on Sunday to ensure all the charges had detonated.

Moorings will then be installed by Parks Victoria before the government opens the site for divers, in about a month’s time.

Built in 1978 and launched two years later, the frigate served Australia for 24 years before it was decommissioned in 2005.

It served in the Middle East following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1992 and helped evacuate Australians from Jakarta in 1998 during the student riots that deposed Indonesian president Suharto.

Red tape has kept Charlie Shapiro, treasure hunter, away from the 224-year-old wreck of the Brederode, which is laden with crated-up porcelain, tin and gold from Indonesia and China.

Centuries-old trinkets from rusty buttons to gifts destined for kings take up a room in Charlie Shapiro’s house - treasures from a lifetime spent combing the ocean floor for shipwrecks.

But the wreck diver’s trove is incomplete, as one of his richest recent finds lies waiting in the deep fathoms of the ocean a decade after its discovery, at risk from pillagers.

Shapiro found the 224-year-old shipwreck of the Dutch Brederode 11 years ago, but a series of mishaps has left him still waiting for government to grant him a permit to excavate its 120 million-rand (£10.1 million) cargo.

“That wreck was my baby, that was my life’s work,” Shapiro says of the ship which has dominated three decades of his existence.

From combing archives in Europe and South Africa, to a 16-year search and against-the-odds discovery of a ship considered an amazingly well-preserved archaeological find, Shapiro’s tale is literally of a treasure hunt.

Greed and disagreements broke up the group of salvors that he formed, and his permit to excavate the ship was lost in a whirl of law changes and a government moratorium on all permits, which has only recently been lifted.

Jonathan Sharfman, a maritime archeologist at the South African Heritage Resources Agency, told AFP that the Brederode, sunk in 1785, is a “completely unique kind of shipwreck. It has the potential to be really high profile”.

This means that Shapiro is unlikely to get his permit without in-depth excavation and conservation plans for the ship, which is still laden with perfectly crated porcelain, tin and gold carried from Indonesia and China.

“We just want to ensure everybody is doing what they should do. We can’t just allow it to be ripped out and sold,” said Sharfman.

“It’s a reasonably intact ship… it really is an amazing example. It presents a unique set of archaeological information.”

The ship, which belonged to the Dutch East India Company, is one of an estimated 3,000 shipwrecks sunk by the forces around South Africa’s unforgiving coastline, which have spawned legends of phantom ships around the treacherous Cape.

From the Shipwreck Coast on the west of the country all the way up to Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, these waters have struck fear into the hearts of sailors and many have perished.

Through the damp mist, the famous sea phantom the Flying Dutchman has been seen from time to time, steered by a Captain van der Decken, cursed to sail the seas for eternity after he insisted on rounding the Cape in foul weather.

Some beached ships have become popular tourist attractions in places like the tiny Northern Cape mining town of Koingnaas, but those that sank are difficult to reach, making the South African coastline an underwater museum.

Shapiro and his company have excavated ships such as the British Birkenhead, which sunk in 1852 and which became famous for starting the tradition of allowing women and children to save themselves first.

A section of his home holds perfectly preserved porcelain plates, weapons and valuable statuettes destined for kings of Portugal, France and England as a gift from the king of Siam aboard the Portuguese ship Milagros in 1686.

From a hoard of bloated wine bottles, an old vintage soured by sea water, to scary-looking medical tools encrusted with rust, Shapiro feels the rich historical legacy of shipwrecks is better kept where people can see it.

The permit tussle is a result of the Unesco convention on underwater heritage, which prevents commercial exploitation of ships over 60 years old, and which South Africa’s parliament has still not ratified.

“They want wrecks left in situ for future generations - what’s wrong with our generation? Wrecks are not there forever,” says Shapiro.

Now, he can only wait as his treasure lies on the ocean floor off the coast of Struisbaai, 220 kilometres (135 miles) from Cape Town, where he has already spotted people searching for the wreck site.

A Thai bulk-carrier ship transporting millions of baht worth of teak from Burma sank in the Andaman Sea just off Phang Nga province on Sunday.

All crew on board the Chart 1 managed to escape on inflatable rafts.

Vice Admiral Narong Tesvisarn, Commander of The Third Naval Area Command in Phang Nga, received a distress call from the crew of Chart 1 just after 7am on August 23.

The distress call said the crew were in need of urgent rescue from their sinking ship.

The Thai Navy vessel Tor.214 responded and located the vessel in rough seas still afloat, approximately 5.3 nautical miles from the Phang Nga Naval Base, roughly 55km north of Phuket.

Chart 1 was in the process of transporting 1,200 teak logs in its 3,200-tonne hold from Burma to its final destination in Vietnam.

The old ship was supposed to take a well-known nautical route from Burma, heading across the Andaman Sea, down through the Straits of Malacca and then on to Vietnam.

However, the bulk-carrier encountered problems not far from Thailand’s coast, where rough seas and severe weather battered the ship, causing multiple leaks in its hull.

Water also leaked into the engine room and began to sink the vessel.

Fearing the ship would sink, the captain alerted the navy, who arrived on the scene within the hour.

By 9.30am, all crew members were safely transported via life rafts from their stricken vessel onto the Thai Navy rescue boat.

The crew comprised seven Thai nationals, including the captain, four Indonesians, and five Burmese, who looked weary and soaked as they watched their vessel sink from the safety of the navy boat.

All crew members were taken to Phang Nga Naval Hospital, most suffering from mild shock and early signs of hypothermia.

On the morning of August 23, the Southern Meteorological Center issued a weather warning for Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Trang and Satun as they were expecting 35 kph winds and two-meter waves.

Chart 1 may not have received the weather report.

Following the incident, the Third Naval Area Command marked the site where the boat sank and navy divers visited the site yesterday.

Vice Admiral Narong said recovery of the vessel would have to wait for confirmation of an insurance payout for salvaging the ship.

“We are worried about the environmental implications of the sunken ship and the prospect of oil and cargo being released from it, causing problems for the environment,” he said.

A group of archeologists from Yogyakarta have discovered ancient Chinese ceramic artifacts estimated to date from between the 13th and 16th century AD in the waters around Genting Island, off the coast of the Central Java town of Jepara.

Head of the team, Priyatno Hadi Sulistyarto, said Friday the findings indicated that the Java Sea was a busy international trade route.

“From the features of the artifacts, which depict animal and flower motifs, albeit not so detailed, we assume the commodities were manufactured as mass products. They have characteristics commonly found in the Ming Dynasty,” Priyatno said.

The 16 member team includes three underwater archeologists. A dive master from the Association of Indonesian Diving Sports was hired to lead the underwater search.

The artifacts were located 200 meters from the coast, at a depth of between two and 2.5 meters.

Local resident Suminto, 28, said people on the island were aware of the artifacts for a long time but did not think they were historical items.

Priyatno said his team was originally searching for a shipwreck around Genting Island and the remaining parts of Karimunjawa Islands

After almost 10 years of searching, wreck hunters have found the remains of the Russian submarine S-2 that was sunk with all crew of 50 men by the Market lighthouse in 1940.

HISTORY The last visual observation of the S-2 was made on January 3rd 1940 by lighthouse officer J.A. Eckerman of the Market lighthouse. He tells:

“The submarine was visible just outside the Market Island eastern edge. It looked as if it headed northward towards the reefs just east of Market but suddenly it changed its heading to clear the reefs and headed eastwards between the reefs and the small island Northeast Sankan. Immediately after changing course, the submarine submerged. Shortly after, an explosion was heard in east-southeastly direction. At the moment I was looking through my binoculars at a shipwreck in another direction. As I immediately after the explosion turned around, I saw in the believed direction of the sound some thick black smoke that lightened up and disappeared in the wind. However, the observed submarine should not have been able to reach the explosion site even though it was heading in the direction. The submarine carried the the sign S-2.”

Ever since the submarine was been lost, neither the Finnish or Swedish Navy has known the position of the wreck.

The search for S-2 begun in April 2009. A vast area of the sea has been searched through and the wreck has now been found in the Aland sea near the Finnish-Swedish sea border by a joint Swedish-Finnish diving team. One member of this team is Ingvald Eckerman, who is the Grandson of the lighthouse officer J.A. Eckerman.

At the time of the sinking there were a total of 50 on board, the regular crew of 46 plus the Commander of the 13th Submarine Division, Gavriil Nikolajevitj Tutyshkin, his assistant and two mechanical students. All 50 on board perished.

Swedish and Aland Isles authorities as well as the Embassy of Russia in Helsinki, have been informed of the discovery of the wreck.

In a press release, the diving team tells that Russia has stated the finding of the S-2 to be very important and has thus contacted Swedish and Finnish authorities asking for further information on the fate of the S-2.

The members of the diving team are Mårten Zetterström (Heby), Ingvald Eckerman (Åland), Richard Johansson (Falkenberg), Patrik Palm (Helsingborg), Björn Rosenlöf (Stockholm) and Mikael Sundin (Uppsala).