Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2017 | Page 234

The cruise ship sank while under tow by a British
naval vessel. She broke her tow line and instead
of ending up beached on Point Salines (as was
planned), her rudder seized full to starboard,
she veered off out to sea. Before they could re-
establish a line to her, she sank. The wreck now
lies in 50m of water at the base of Whibbles Reef.
The Government of Grenada had asked that she
is not left permanently buoyed. This means the
most usual method of diving her is a free descent
through the blue to her decks at an average depth
of 33m. The bottom of the swimming pool is at
40m and the tip of her bow is at 30m.
A drift dive along her length between the two in the
prevailing gentle (usually) current takes you past
many points of interest. The collapsed funnel of
the wreck is still sporting a large letter C indicating
the “Costa Line”. Some of the lifeboat davits make
useful landmarks on your cruise to the bridge. The
bridge has now been completely flattened but the
view across the fore deck reveals broken stairs,
winding winches, fallen spars covered in soft coral
and the remains of the forward mast. The top of
the food chain is most usually a large barracuda or
two, although Black Tip sharks and Bull sharks have
been spotted. Often you can also see several eagle
rays cruising around the wreck. Forward from here
takes you to the tip of the bow and the chance
to hang at 30m and look down the hull to 50m
and marvel at the sheer size and realize why she
earns the title “Titanic of the Caribbean”. Because