JUANITA FENN ....... shipwreck story and connection

Juanita Fenn and a very large stonefish at Amity Point, Queensland

Inset John Fenn, a Gold Coast former commercial diver (whose specialty was welding) very proud father of Juanita.

Juanita's 'Uncle Des' showed me a couple of letters written to him years ago by the infamous West Australian wreck hunter and some would say plunderer Allan Robinson of the Gilt Dragon Dutch shipwreck fame.

The letters were hilarious and would be a good read for everyone interested in shipwreck history. Not for their shipwreck content - more for describing life in the remote regions of the far north and the escapades of Alan's adolescent son chasing local girls.

The Allan Robinson story seems to have been overlooked by documentary film producers. The would be two versions of course - one being what happens when a cocky person gets on the wrong side of authorities and especially the West Australian police.

His now rare self-published book titled In Australia TREASURE is not for the finder (Allan Robinson 1980)

The book has a curious copyright notice "Commonwealth of Australia" instead of the author's name which would imply the commonwealth owns rights to the book.

Either a gross error or yet another example of Allan's cheeky attitude.






Copyright2008 on 05.07.08 @ 05:00 AM AEST [ shipwreck story and connection">link]

LARGE BLACK COD ....... South West Rocks (1969)

Vic 'Snowie' Ley and a Epinephelus daemelii

A former Australian spearfishing champion (with John Black). Both represented Australia at the CMAS organized world championships - the pinnacle achievement for any free diver.








Copyright2008 on 03.07.08 @ 02:30 AM AEST [South West Rocks (1969)">link]

SOUTH WEST ROCKS ...... Dive shop museum (1981)

The late Noel Hitchins (right)

When gathering underwater movie scenes for Sea Safari I called at the South West Rocks dive shop on the mid north coast of New South Wales, about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.

My friend Noel Hitchins had started the business some years before. He was having a not-so-friendly war with club spear fishermen who saw nothing wrong with shooting competition fish (i.e. almost anything that swam) from the offshore island-rock which contained a specular cave and tunnel than ran right through it. A perfect future destination for scuba diving groups.

So incredible was this 'cavern' that a whole episode of Innerspace (a 1970's TV series) was filmed there with 240V bright filming lights designed and used by Ron Taylor. The contents of the cave were tropical and unique. It may not be quite the same today as thousands have since visited.

Originally several giant Queensland groper (each over 400 pounds) and huge black cod were common residents.

So the battle to protect the site known as Fish Rock Cave began. In the end Noel and the new 2nd dive shop seemed to have won. Line fishermen also fancied the location so there has been more problems, especially as their fish hooks invariably find a hungry (protected) grey nurse shark ready to take the bait.

In 1981 the grey nurse were back - some said from the brink of extinction. There was no doubt the species had suffered a setback. Many factors should be considered who they became rare - the east coast had been in the grip of a prolonged drought which some say has an effect on coastal marine life and therefore fish (and shark) food supplies.

At the time I reckoned the JAWS movie of 1975 was to blame for the sudden increased popularity collecting of shark jaws. Jaws were selling for suddenly ridiculous figures.

So in 1981 we arrived in town and Noel suggested a dive. The result was recorded on movie film and edited into a 90 minute video released as Sea Safari a documentary in 1983., not shown on TV.

Also featured was a brief look at Noel's personal maritime museum, shown here.

Double-hose US Divers regulators (still considered the best reg design as the bubbles escape from behind your head not under your face with all the resulting noise) and an especially ancient and fully imported outboard motor from about 1960 which still ran.

Noel passed away a few years ago. His sons now run the dive shop business and will be delighted to see this picture of their Dad after all many years, taken at a time when they were just little kids.



Copyright2008 on 03.07.08 @ 01:37 AM AEST [Dive shop museum (1981)">link]

PEARL DIVERS FINAL JOURNEY

Asian pearl divers rest peacefully here under a blue sky



Copyright2008 on 02.07.08 @ 01:42 AM AEST [link]

CABLE BEACH, BROOME

Christine Danaher with my Bolex 16mm movie camera



Copyright2008 on 02.07.08 @ 01:38 AM AEST [link]

PEARLING LUGGER ...... Broome,Western Australia

The tide varies by some ten meters at Broome. At low tide this beautiful old lugger (a pearl diver's work boat) will be sitting on the bottom of the dry mangrove creek, right the edge of town just a 50 meters away.



Copyright2008 on 02.07.08 @ 01:34 AM AEST [Broome,Western Australia">link]

RE COMPRESSION CHAMBER ..... "One Man steel coffin"

A hard hat pearl diver of the past, surfacing with suspected bends would be re compressed in this steel chamber. The lid had been removed for safety. In the background is an air compressor that would have been hand-cranked by a couple of workers - for many hours of a working day.



Copyright2008 on 02.07.08 @ 01:30 AM AEST ["One Man steel coffin"">link]

PEARL FARM FLOATING WORK PLATFORM

Copyright2008 on 02.07.08 @ 01:24 AM AEST [link]

PEARL SHELL

Copyright2008 on 02.07.08 @ 01:22 AM AEST [link]

BROOME PEARL BOUTIQUE

This battered hard hat is a feature in Linney's store



Copyright2008 on 02.07.08 @ 01:20 AM AEST [link]

THE PEARL DIVERS OF BROOME ...... Western Australia

A true marine adventurer - Mr Dale Chapman

Dale Chapman took a team of mates to Broome, Western Australia in 1972 and changed the method of collecting pearl shell from hard-hat to modern hookah diving.

Live pearl shell is collected from depths of 20 to 30 meters for use in the cultured pearl industry. Skilled technicians insert plastic implants into a live oyster which then, over a period of time, coats the foreign substance with nacre.

The result is a cultured pearl that is the best quality in the world, thanks to the rich, blue waters of the Kimberley Coast.

A trip to Broome is worth the effort. Especially at this time of the year, the winter months. Chinatown has many pearl boutiques owned by the local pearl farms.

The old cemetery lists hundreds of Asian workers and divers who ended their days here. The dreaded "bends" ruined many lives far too soon.

Broome is the one town in Australia where diving is recognized as the town's foundation. You are not a true diver until you spend a month in Broome.



Copyright2008 on 30.06.08 @ 09:41 PM AEST [Western Australia">link]

DUGONG ...... Underwater picture

The mermaid myth was inspired by this air-breathing creature



Copyright2008 on 30.06.08 @ 04:13 AM AEST [Underwater picture">link]

PRAWN TRAWLERS DISCOVER AIRCRAFT WRECKS

All along the coast trawlers are hooking-up with things, including WW2 aircraft.

This example shows a lot of lost and expensive gear wrapped around the remains of a RAAF Hudson WW2 aircraft first dived on by Dean Cropp with his famous film making father Ben.

Aircraft wrecks are yet to be included in the strict legislation which protects historic shipwrecks.






Copyright2008 on 28.06.08 @ 08:22 PM AEST [link]

WHERE G.B.R. MEETS THE CORAL SEA

Dean Cropp on the Fatima shipwreck site, (unexplored weather-side)

Here's a famous shipwreck site on the outside edge of the Great Barrier Reef(s).

The Fatima went up on the weather side of Great Detached Reef and left a couple of anchors partially exposed as the wreck, or part of it, was washed across the top of the reef and presumably into the lagoon on the other side.

Here on the ocean side or weather-side of this coral reef are unusual coral lumps or mounds which I have a gut-feeling might be now coral-encrusted parts of the original ship. A metal detector here could be interesting.

The shape of the coral here, especially near an established wreck site is the clue.

Working in the surf zone would be difficult. Just getting there is far from being easy.

It might be a while before anyone does anything, or maybe never?








Copyright2008 on 28.06.08 @ 08:05 PM AEST [link]

CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN SHIPWRECK POSTCARDS

Sample pages from the self-published booklet by John Sumner, a diver with sincere passion for shipwreck knowledge.

Some people collect postcards relating to shipwrecks. How interesting and different. I had no idea such things existed. The booklet sells for $7 from PO Box 48 Canterbury NSW 2193

Mobile phone +61 409 435 586

email: johnsumner911 (AT) gmail.com



Copyright2008 on 28.06.08 @ 07:32 PM AEST [link]

SHIPWRECK DISCOVERED IN THE CORAL SEA. The 'Sun'

(top)Admiralty-style anchor;(below) L-shaped iron 'rib'

Wrecked on Ashmore or perhaps on Eastern Fields Reef 1st June 1826 was a ship called Sun. In the National Shipwrecks Data Base the location is given as Eastern Fields Reef which is some 50-100 km from Ashmore Reef where experts believe the Sun came to grief.

Ben Cropp confirmed that we were diving at Ashmore Reef, not Eastern Fields Reef.

This was during a voyage to Murray Island. We'd stopped at Ashmore Reef especially for Ben to have a new filming opportunity at what he believes from his research is the Sun wreck. As very few divers have been here, it is a very exciting dive with a major discovery always possible.

Wreckage is strewn around a northern section of reef. With a drop-off nearby just meters from a pair of Admiralty-style iron anchors, cannon, and iron remnants such as the L-shaped iron beam with a growing brain coral now cementing it to the reef.

Surf washed across this site although some relief is offered by the depth, about 10-15 meters.

What exists in the 30-meter or more depth zone nearby would be interesting.

Time did not allow our penetration deeper. Several big pelagic fish cruised by and a juvenile maori wrasse. It's an exciting location where anything could suddenly appear from a minke whale to a tiger shark, such is the nature of distant Coral Sea reefs where reef fishing pressure is different to that close to the mainland.

"Much shipwreck data contains mistakes (says historical shipwreck expert and diver John Sumner) this continues to be repeated".

This reminded me of the once commonly quoted 36.5 foot long great white shark caught at Port Fairy, South Australia a long time ago.

Those shark jaws are now kept in a British museum "and more likely from a 16.5 foot specimen" said Dr Walter Starck after he visited the museum.

A typographical error (from 16.5 to 36.5 feet) was quoted by various 'authoritative' publications for decades and may still appear from time to time.

Errors with shipwreck data is a much more common distortion.

Few people have the necessary passion and ability in government departments to correct these mistakes which get perpetuated in new publications and eventually become accepted 'facts'.

We know that a large shipwreck, believed by experts to be the Sun exists at Ashmore Reef.

The yet-to-be found ship's bell would confirm the identity.

A tentative 'discovery' might be considered listing instead of the current 'yes' or 'no' system.

Any experienced diver will spot the Admiralty anchor in the top picture. The round "eye" for attaching rope is at the opposite end. For untrained divers this may seem just another lump of coral.

Ben believes this anchor may have been a spare carried on the deck.

When all of the surrounding timber rotted and washed away except for that preserved below the anchor which now appears raised above the surrounding flat coral reef.





Copyright2008 on 28.06.08 @ 06:24 PM AEST [The 'Sun'">link]

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY UNDERWATER ... Page One (1967)

whale shark news - this week, (copy and paste)

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/international/2008/06/789779/

http://www.whaleshark.org/encounters/encounter.jsp?number=2162008235356







Copyright2008 on 23.06.08 @ 09:48 PM AEST [Page One (1967)">link]

LOST OPPORTUNITY...... almost an ideal advertising shot

Valerie and Ron Taylor, with whale shark 30 November 1967

Top picture shows three subjects. Diver on a then rare whale shark (this was 40 years ago). Subject three is the most popular underwater 35mm still camera in diver's hands.

Lower picture shows my friend above the whale shark.

Look carefully at the top picture in the top right hand corner, the same diver's arm barely shows in the frame, If only the entire diver could be seen it would have made a special advertising picture for the camera company.

How much is a good picture worth? For advertising purposes - unlimited use for say three years should earn about AUD $10,000 - depending upon the budget of the client of course. After three years all rights could revert back to the copyright owner of the picture.

Whoever clicks the shutter is the copyright owner, regardless of who owns the camera/film.

Surf companies are paying around $10,000 for a special action picture which they then like to own all copyright - if the owns agrees and signs away such copyright.

This isn't a problem with surfing 'snappers' with a motor drive as there will be heaps of similar frames.

Magazines with a small circulation (under say 25,000 paid sales) are obviously on a different budget to international surfing companies. A few hundred for a cover shot at best as they are doing us a favor.

The last word. A wide-angle 20mm or 15mm lens would have captured and framed all the diver in the top picture over the shark - at the expense of creating a smaller-looking shark.









Copyright2008 on 23.06.08 @ 01:22 AM AEST [almost an ideal advertising shot">link]

THE CORAL SEA (1971) Chesterfield Reef-gannet guards nest

Copyright2008 on 23.06.08 @ 12:54 AM AEST [Chesterfield Reef-gannet guards nest">link]

EASTERN ROCK LOBSTER ...... Forster, New South Wales

Dennis Kemp shows Christine Danaher his lobster hole



Copyright2008 on 21.06.08 @ 02:58 AM AEST [Forster, New South Wales">link]

ADULT GREEN LOBSTER ..... New South Wales variety

Adult east coast lobsters are protected. It took decades for the penny to drop and for recognition that these big ones are the main breeding stock.

So, very small lobsters are protected, the middle sized ones can be caught, very large adults are to be left in the sea.

Also the use of scuba is illegal to take lobster. OK to hold them for a picture like this one with petite model Christine Danaher showing a couple of pets located previously by Dennis Kemp near Forster on the mid north coast of New South Wales.






Copyright2008 on 20.06.08 @ 06:27 PM AEST [New South Wales variety">link]

TROPICAL LOBSTER ...... and eating healthier tip

A recent photo example of tropical lobster (called 'crays' by divers) found in the harbor at Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Rick Trippe has a recipe for mud crab which probably works for lobster. Cracked pepper and butter, fry in a wok. Black pepper is not a healthy product to make a habit of, then neither is lobster.

A naturopath and friend warned me many years ago that eating 'rich foods' (lobster, crab, champagne) will cause problems with bones, such as in the hip joints.

Commercial diver and friend Dennis Kemp agreed that this warning could be correct. Dennis had hip replacement surgery and had lived on such 'rich foods' for years.

Sorry to post this grim news, never say you were not warned.

A little bit is probably OK. If you win the lottery, be extra careful.

In the news this week, Australia has the fattest (most obese) people in the world. You might not get fat eating lobster - just turn in to a cripple sooner.





Copyright2008 on 20.06.08 @ 05:42 PM AEST [and eating healthier tip">link]

LOBSTERS ......at Australia's Coral Sea island outpost

Two species of tropical lobster from the reef near Murray Island, Australia.



Copyright2008 on 20.06.08 @ 12:10 AM AEST [at Australia's Coral Sea island outpost">link]

MURRAY ISLAND ...... Live triton shells

Copyright2008 on 20.06.08 @ 12:05 AM AEST [Live triton shells">link]

TIGER SHARK ....... Murray Island, The Coral Sea

Locals with Tiger shark caught overnight on a set line. Murray Island (also known as Mer Island) is near the Australian border with Papua New Guinea. There is an airstrip with flights to Cairns. Accommodation is available and is not cheap. Locals rely on a diet of turtles to keep them going, although fish is preferred. Tropical Reef Lobster are common on nearby reefs where they are dived for. This is a northern outpost of Australian territory in The Coral Sea.



Copyright2008 on 19.06.08 @ 05:32 PM AEST [Murray Island, The Coral Sea">link]

FIRST CHESTERFIELD REEFS EXPEDITION

Frigate birds watch us invade their island



Copyright2008 on 18.06.08 @ 02:16 AM AEST [link]

THE CORAL SEA ..... French territory

John M Harding Snr. at Chesterfield Reef (1971)

My father had adventures in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands as a young soldier during the war. However he often said the best trips of his life were aboard Coralita especially this trip to the Chesterfield's.

It was a three-day voyage at 10 knots from the Queensland coast. The charter was shared between professional sea shell collectors (seeking the rare volute thatcheri, which was found) and diving photographers like us.

I documented the expedition for ABC TV news and a Sydney morning newspaper which ran reports and pictures over five weekday issues in exchange for paying my fare, which was substantial in those times.

Fathom (TM) magazine number six ran a several page report.

We had a lot of anxious shark activity underwater. Interesting as the grey reef sharks were territorial in that they protected home territory keenly, something that does not happen at regularly visited dive sites close to the coast these days.

Sharks are smart, they learn fast and have good memories.






Copyright2008 on 18.06.08 @ 02:03 AM AEST [French territory">link]

THE CORAL SEA France. Iles Chesterfield Et Depencances

Low sandy islands without trees and inhabited by sea birds, (gannet, frigate, tropic bird). Typical for many large islands in the Coral Sea of the western Pacific.



Copyright2008 on 18.06.08 @ 01:45 AM AEST [ France. Iles Chesterfield Et Depencances">link]

DIVE BOAT ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY ..... A memoir (1971)

(left)The offending vehicle, (right)Our dive boat minus outboard

We were heading to Yeppoon to join a Coralita expedition to the remote Chesterfield Reef in The Coral Sea. It was the era of Fathom ® magazine (Australia).

Traveling in our station sedan were visiting USA divers Richard Ibara, Alan Murayama, my dad (John M) and I.

8pm at night, it was a dark night, no moon. BANG. A vehicle crashed into the rear of us.

One of the scuba tank valves in the boat bumped on full blast, my first thoughts seemed as if a tank had exploded!

The high pressure air escaping noise spooked the offending driver.

Our new dive boat also had a brand new 30 HP outboard.

The outboard was completely destroyed when the driver of the offending vehicle panicked and continued some four kilometers further down the highway with the now snapped off motor jammed under his car. The motor was 'worn in half'. Only the spark plugs could be salvaged.

The driver stopped when his radiator ran dry and his car engine overheated. Such is the response by a person faced with sudden stress. It can happen with anyone.

The boat had a few holes in the stern and damage to the bow, nothing too serious. Our car and boat trailer would require repairs that would take a week.

There were no injuries. A phone call later that night and our best friend very kindly arrived from Yeppoon with his vehicle and empty boat trailer to collect us and all our gear.

Each time I pass that lonely piece of highway south of Rockhampton, Queensland, memories return of that near miss, when we were pushed off the highway, narrowly missing tree stumps. I mentally thank our friend for his courtesy and help.

Richard and Alan must have been horrified of the Australian highway conditions as compared with what they were used to at home.

We borrowed another outboard for the trip to Chesterfield and taped up the holes in the boat with waterproof sticking plaster!

Given that no one was hurt and everything worked out fine, it’s a great story. Right after the accident, both Allan and I were thinking the same thing independently. Once we found that no one was hurt – we thought, after all the traveling and driving – does this mean that the Chesterfield trip is out? How are we going to get the gear back to Sydney? Thank you Ron for rescuing us and the boat. And, wasn’t that your outboard we used? Before the crash, I was thinking, I’m tired, we’re almost there and soon we can rest. Then, boom – shower of glass – what happened? Ron, you must have been tired as well. Thanks for picking us up. Richard Ibara 2008








Copyright2008 on 17.06.08 @ 04:33 PM AEST [A memoir (1971)">link]

ISLAND GIRL ...... Great Keppel Is. Queensland

(the late) Justine Hamilton



Copyright2008 on 17.06.08 @ 12:47 AM AEST [Great Keppel Is. Queensland">link]

BLUE WATER - WEATHER SIDE, CORAL SEA REEF

Great Detached Reef, Northern G B R



Copyright2008 on 15.06.08 @ 10:32 PM AEST [link]

WEATHER SIDE OF CORAL REEF ...... The Swain Reefs

Copyright2008 on 15.06.08 @ 10:25 PM AEST [The Swain Reefs">link]

BLUE SPOT

On the weather side (ocean side) of Great Detached Reef we met this 10 kg trout that was completely fearless of us. Too remote a region to have been a feed-trained fish.

Some of these blue spot trout have ciguatera poisoning. It's not such a good idea to eat them anymore.

I wonder how many people in western Queensland got ill with ciguatera, went to a local GP for treatment and were mis-diagnosed? It would take a very skilled doctor to recognize the symptoms in the 1960's when professional spearmen and fishermen caught tons of this species at Saumarez Reef and throughout The Swains.

Not the nicest fish either, they will eat their own kind.

When you approach a wild one they may show teeth while finning slowly backwards away from you. Educated versions won't allow anyone to get close easily.








Copyright2008 on 15.06.08 @ 10:17 PM AEST [link]