WRECKDIVING
The Aachen
This large , handsome late 19th Century steamship was designed to carry both cargo and passengers . Now it is an impressive shipwreck and a grand monument to the modern world of commerce and travel .
There is much to discover here , with many delightful details .
Moving aft down some wooden stairs , we swam about 15m through a corridor and saw a door standing ajar .
We peeked into what we thought was a
passenger cabin . A table and chairs , cupboard on the right and a bed on the left . Another moment frozen in time . There are fascinating details like the hooks near the ceiling on the left . Perhaps a curtain hung there to keep out the light ?
Abandoned
The small steamer Astrid is in poor condition , but her figurehead is still intact . She was built in 1872 , originally for private use as a yacht , and later converted into a cargo vessel . In 1916 she was transporting a load of general cargo when she was intercepted and sunk by U-22 . The German Commander ’ s reason for sinking the Astrid was that her cargo could benefit Russia ’ s war effort . The 12-man crew boarded the lifeboats before the sub fired 16 grenades from its deck cannon .
Life finds a way
A cod swims past the camera inside the wreck of the Undine in the Southern Baltic . We used to see some very large cod around some wrecks , but today they are much smaller and fewer in number . Over the years we ’ ve been diving , visibility has also got worse due to algae . It is clear that the Baltic Sea is under threat .
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