Shark show on the Austin Smith wreck
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a barren expanse. However, upon slowing down and getting low, yellowhead jawfish could be seen dancing above their sandy holes. No sudden movements though, or they rocket back into the sand quicker than you can blink! Hermit crabs shuffled across the sand, leaving tell-tale trails.
The fate of British Andy
Wrecks provided yet more diversity to the itinerary, with two in particular standing out –
The Austin Smith shipwreck sits in 21m of water. In the Seventies, a Cuban ship was boarded by Bahamian authorities. The Cubans attacked and killed four Bahamian officers, including one by the name of Austin Smith. The US donated four cutters, in honour of each the Bahamians who lost their lives in the attack. In the mid 1990s, the Austin Smith was decommissioned and plans were made for it to be scuttled and used as a dive site. However, the Austin Smith never made it to the designated location. It sunk repeatedly during the journey and was left to lie where we find it today. This wreck is frequented by Caribbean reef sharks, making it the sharkiest dive of the week. Not all wrecks are shipwrecks …. The Smuggler’ s Plane sits in just 5m of water. We did this dive in the late afternoon and also as a night dive. In the late afternoon as the sun gets low in the sky, dappled light pierces the water, creating a beautiful backdrop to the wreck. The story goes that this area was often used for drug transportation in the Seventies and Eighties by Pablo Escobar’ s cartel.
Apparently, the pilot was an Englishman referred to as‘ British Andy’, who also happened to be quite a drinker. One
Smuggler’ s Plane dive site
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