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The
Hardeep Shipwreck (Samesan),
Thailand
Ship wreck diving Pattaya - The Hardeep ship was sunk by
Allied bombers in the latter part of World War 2. It was an Indonesian cargo
ship which had been commandeered by the Japanese army to run supplies to
Thailand where they were building the railway linking the country to Burma.
The Hardeep is 64-metres long and lies on her starboard side, just a few hundred
metres from the coral island Koh Chuang, where the skipper made a vain effort to
beach her. Her hull is largely intact and there is access to the engine room where you can
see the huge crankshaft. There are still some fire bricks in place near the
boilers.
Time has taken it’s toll on the superstructure and penetration is becoming
risky, but it is possible to swim along the deck, through the remains of the
superstructure from end to end.
The remnants of the funnel are resting on the seafloor, one end lying in 28
meters of water. The foremast rests nearby. A short swim, following the line of
the funnel, will bring you to an unexploded 1000lb bomb sitting upright in the
sand.
Although the Hardeep is well illuminated by natural light, it is handy to carry
a torch for examining dark corners as well as for enjoying the marine life in it
true colors. There's certainly a lot to be explored just inside. It
seems to me that every time I dive this wreck there's more to see.
Certainly a must for any wreck enthusiast.
After nearly 60 years nature has worked her magic on the ship wreck and it is home to
angelfish, batfish, groupers, stingrays, barracuda, wrasse, butterfly fish, crabs,
and nudibranchs. Surprising things happen here too. Only a few
months back we had the pleasure of having a Whale Shark visit us on the wreck.
The Petchburi Bremen
Shipwreck
The Petchburi Bremen, is a
110-metre, freighter severely damaged by a fire and an explosion in her engine
room in the mid-1930s.
Some of the cargo was salvaged and the ship was then scuttled. She rests upright
on a sandy bottom, her centre section twisted and broken up, not only by the
explosion, but also by demolition practice carried out by the Royal Thai Navy. (The
wreck is no longer used for this purpose.)
The Bremen is in three main parts. The forward and stern sections are relatively
intact, but the centre part is a tangle of steelwork.
But it’s still an interesting wreck to dive. Part of the superstructure has
been separated from the rest of the ship wreck and lies nearby. The skipper’s
private bathroom – complete with bath, lavatory and very attractive ceramic
floor tiles, can be explored by experienced divers.
Penetrating the main hull sections is not advised due to the man-made damage and
the deterioration of the steel over the years.
Nature has claimed the Bremen and many types of coral and sea whips grow on the
sides and decks of the ship. Blue-ringed and six-banded angelfish, batfish,
moray eels, rays, barracuda, and numerous smaller reef fish inhabit the wreck.
There is also a giant, but shy, grouper, reported to be the size of a pick-up
truck who has made his home on the Bremen, so bring your camera or video with
you.
Because of her position between tropical two islands, strong currents can be encountered
on the Bremen as well as sizeable waves at certain times of the year. This dive
is not for novices.
Click
here *** HTMS Krarm Ship wreck *** Click here
Click
here *** Other Ship wrecks in Thailand *** Click here
Over and
above the two mentioned wrecks Pattaya sports a whole host of Chinese pottery
wrecks, some still left virtually un-dived. For the possibility of
exploration dives please contact me.
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