Pirate Bear
- Pirate Bear's trip Malta 2017
Nice little paddle steamer for our check dive..... Good job I knew it was a paddle steamer as I started to get very confused when looking for the propellers by the rudder! Shot line came down the starboard side by the engine which was a little smashed up. But we made our way forward to watch a big school of fish swimming around. Stopped to video a moray in a hole up there but not a vast amount of big life overall. Working way back down the port side you can make out the boiler in the distance so made a beeline to take a look. The spindles of the paddles are still very visible, as well as lots of gauges and valves on equipment through the wreck. Fairly small but nice enough size that we could do a good test of 45 min bottom time and 35 deco in preparation for the deeper stuff we'll hopefully get on later in the week. Very nice start :-)
Cracking wreck that clearly takes a long time to explore. Wreck is listing to its port side but shot had rested off to the hull side (which meant it got pulled off later). But we arrived onto the starboard rails. I fancied going to the bow but when I turned around mark had swam off towards the stern so I tagged along. Not entirely sure what he was trying to signal me but he pointed his lights in my face each time I looked over!! From mid ships moved along seabed stern, lots of bottles, China and other assorted bits scattered about. Even found a shiny enamelled French squatting toilet at one point (took a video for Jim at work). Mark dropped down into one of the rear holds which was cool as you could drop down two levels. Out through a crack in the hull brought us into the propeller.... Swimming past a porthole lying on the seabed. Lovely view around the stern with rudder on show and also some squid eggs dangling from some line. Up onto the top of the stern and past the gun which you could still very clearly see the mechanism and gears for. Getting a bit close on deco time so scooted back to the line.... Broken off waster. But Jane had tied off her reel so found the line then came up. Great week can't wait to get back on it.
Blown out from the southwold so took ferry over to gozo. Managed to drag mark around all the wrecks. Is a funny feeling setting off for a third week when you've already got 50 mins of deco racked up! Few good fish about especially a school of tuna following Marcus about on his scooter. Nice to have something to look at on that deco stop. Finding a cool octopus and cuttlefish helped while away the time. Awesome to do all the wrecks on one dive compared to the usual open circuit single dive.
Headed towards blue through thr second level down. Lots of stuff to see. China, decanters, kettles, lots of gauges and engine stuff. Holds full of tyres and bottles everywhere. Headed to bow and got a few nice videos of it. Made easy way back past the line and explored the smashed up engine area. Cracking dive.
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