The most intact of the Helles Barges
Surface currents as well !
to see . The profile of the bow was ideal for ‘ diver discovering the wreck with a torch ’ type images .
As with the majority of the dives , the surface current was strong and it was important to follow the shot line . Once at depth , there was virtually no current and being just 35 metres long , the Lundy was an easy wreck to explore . We were there primarily to see the wrecks but it ’ s always good to have some nature too . Although the diversity of marine life was far less than we were used to around our Cornish coast , there was life in and around the metalwork . Fan worms , sponges , hydroids and nudibranchs had all made themselves at home and it was the first time I had seen both conger eel and moray eel on the same dive .
At the end of the dive , we performed the usual flag impersonations at the safety stop before following a surface rope to the ladders at the stern of Blackfish . It was immediately apparent that there would be big problems if you let go of the rope . There seemed to be no provision for recovering a diver that was being swept away by the 6 knot surface current . It ’ s amazing how hard you can grip a rope when you need to !
Fortified by a tasty lunch of chicken and mushroom pasta , we motored the short distance across Sulva Bay to dive the destroyer HMS Louis . She dragged her anchor while moored in the bay during a storm in October 1915 , then ran aground and now lies in 14 metres .
The most prominent features of the wreck are the four Yarrow boilers standing proud of the hull that is largely hidden under the sand . One of the boilers was home to a common octopus .
Braving the elements
There was a surprise waiting for us as we returned to the marina . A Turkish television crew wanted to film and interview us ( with a translator ). The Turks are rightly proud of their history and are very keen to encourage more divers to the region .
The chat over our evening meal revealed a tally for Day One of two flooded cameras , one freeflow and one dSMB that became detached and unwound 35 metres of line . Fortunately , the rest of the week would prove less eventful .
That evening in the hotel we were shown a short film with English dialogue explaining the build-up and development of the Gallipoli campaign . We were there for a holiday , but seeing the images made us mindful that we were visiting war
Yarrow boiler on HMS Louis
graves . It is the sacrifices of others that have given us the freedoms we are lucky enough to enjoy today .
The hotel had an extensive library in many European languages and an impressive display of artefacts that TJ , the owner of the hotel , had collected during a lifetime of walks in the area . A few years back there had been a forest fire but the fire crews couldn ’ t move in to tackle the blaze due to constant explosions from discarded ordinance .
The next morning , we dived the Helles Barges , near Seddulbahir . These two barges were being used to transport munitions , supplies and soldiers from cargo ships to the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula before sunrise on 25 April 1915 . They were spotted by the Turkish forces and came under heavy fire , killing most of
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