Reasons for wreck diving.

Why wreck dive? If you’re reading this section, you probably already have an answer.

With many diving opportunities on wrecks, wreck diving may interest you for any of several reasons.

 

Four of the most common are curiosity and adventure, history, aquatic life and photography.
Curiosity and adventure. Wrecks are enigmas, especially the first time you dive them.

 

When exploring a fairly intact wreck, you may find yourself wondering where it comes from,

who worked on it, what ports it called on, and why it sank.

When visiting a well-known, researched wreck, it’s easy to imagine the captain standing on the bridge

battling the fatal storm or trying to evade a torpedo, and wonder what it was like.

 

There’s a moment of anticipation each time you look in, around or under something because, who knows what you’ll find?

History. Wrecks are not just lost ships, but tangible historical resources to humanity’s past.

As such, many wreck divers work with or are archaeologists and historians looking for clues about our cultural past when the ship still sailed.

Some wrecks contain irreplaceable historical resources, which you must respect and leave undisturbed.

Aquatic Life. As mentioned in the introduction, wrecks quickly become artificial reefs,

attracting underwater life and providing new habitats (something to grow on and hide in).

 

In some regions, the best place to find aquatic life is on wrecks. In these areas,

you may engage in wreck diving not so much for the wreck, but because it is the best place to find nature.

Photography. Thanks to standing structures and the aquatic life commonly found on them,

wrecks tend to be photogenic. Fairly intact wrecks present a background that nondivers recognize,

making it easier for them to relate to what they see. If you’re fond of underwater photography,

don’t leave your still or video camera behind when you’ve diving a wreck.