Heritage Tourism: Shipwrecks

[Agnes Riley]

For centuries, humanity has been awe in the ocean. It was a source of sustenance, a road for trade and for the discoveries of new worlds, the last frontier. If it's true that life began in the sea, then that does much to explain our ages-long love affair with the ocean. In older times, the sea was also a place of countless dangers, where sea monsters roamed the waters and the abyss awaited those who dared approach the ends of the world. Nowadays, there are many shipwrecks that became famous tourist attractions and which delight divers and sea explorers from around the world. Wreck diving popularity is increasing and more and more people wish to take part in this exhilarating activity. Here are some of the most famous wreck diving spots.

RMS Rhone, British Virgin Islands - The RMS Rhone was a British Ship that sank off the coast of Salt Island during a hurricane in the late 19th century. Nowadays, the wreck is considered one of the best diving sites in the world, and the whole area is a national park. The remains of the Rhone are home to countless fish, lobsters and crabs. The wreck also has a "lucky porthole", a brass porthole which remains intact and that divers rub for good luck.

USS Oriskany, Florida - Not all wreck diving sites result from accidental shipwrecks. Sometimes, when a ship is decommissioned, it is sunk in order to make a reef. That was the case with the USS Oriskany. This battleship, nicknamed the Mighty O, was sunk in 2006 off the coast of Florida. It was named by The Times one of the best wreck diving sites in the world, and is popularly known as the "Great Carrier Reef". It is currently "the largest vessel ever sunk to make a reef."

MS Zenobia, Cyprus - Also considered one of the best spots for wreck diving, this shipwreck off the coast of Cyprus is that of the MS Zenobia, a Swedish ship that sank in 1979. She became a very popular attraction for divers who visit the country and presents different levels of difficulty for less experienced divers and for more advanced divers alike.

MS Mikhail Lermontov, New Zealand - The MS Mikhail Lermontov was a Soviet ocean line which sank near Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand in 1986. The ship is currently one of the biggest diveable wrecks in the world, and it's quite popular in the diving community. While entering the ship is possible, it is advisable doing it only with a guide familiar with the wreck.

Scapa Flow, UK - After the rendition of Germany in WWI, part of the German fleet was in the waters of Scapa Flow, in Scotland. In order for the ships not to fall into British hands, the fleet's Admiral ordered all the ships to be sunk. More ships sank in the area during WWII. The site is great for scuba diving, since there aren't many other spots in the world where you can find so many ships in such close proximity. Two of the wrecks, the HMS Royal Oak and the HMS Vanguard, cannot be visited, since they are considered war graves and, as such, they are protected sites. However, there are many other sites of interest in the area.