« March 2003 | Main | August 2003 »
April 16, 2003
All's Well That End's Well
Typhoon Kujira, which was predicted to hit Ulithi, moved 130 miles north of the island. Everything appears fine in this area, winds were at 150 mph and she is now heading toward the Philippines.
The Sea Hunters will not dive again. After speaking with Jim Delgado via satellite link the team will head for Guam and then home.
Posted by victoria at 07:50 PM | Comments (0)
April 14, 2003
Big Problem
After warnings received yesterday April 13th, The Sea Hunters have been told that the must leave Ulithi for the safety of Yap due to an approaching typhoon. Typhoon Kujira is clearly visible on the satellite. Her wind speed is in excess on 100 mph, eye is 20 miles in diameter, she is moving at 10 mph. Following a course of 10 degrees north for the past 2 days it is likely that she will hit Ulithi. The team needs to pack and will leave by 14 00 hrs.
Posted by victoria at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2003
Return to Wreck Site
Today John Davis and Marc Pike headed out to the wreck site. The team was able to install a new marker and line on the stern.
Tonight they were invited to a fundraiser for the local high school during which our mixer and sound designer, John Rosborough, played guitar and sang. A good time was had by all.
Posted by victoria at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2003
New Arrivals
This afternoon after their 6th dive on the Mississinewa, Mike and Warren met up with the rest of the Sea Hunters Team. With no time to rest Mike and John Davis went exploring on the interior of the island. They saw the runway and other war debris left by both the Japanese and Amerians who were positioned here.
As low tide went out Mike and John explored other equiment forgotten in the shallow waters of Ulithi. Airplane engines and other chunks of rusted metal litter an otherwise perfect coastline.
Posted by victoria at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2003
Hot Tapping
In August of 2001, as a result of requests from the Yap Sate Government, a team of US experts were assembled to survey the Mississinewa wreck site to determine the source of leaking oil. During their survey a leak was discovered and repaired. However it was also established, at that time, that due to corrosion the potential existed for oil to leak, in the future.
It was decided that the remaining oil on the Mississinewa would be removed through a method known as “hot tapping”. Hot Tapping works by means of divers tapping into the oil cargo and fuel tanks and then rigging submersible pumps and hoses to allow pumping of the oil to a barge on the surface. During the removal of the Mississinewa’s oil the dive team installed 20 hot taps along the hull. Given that the navy divers were also able to cut diver access holes they were able to reach two internal tanks and offload that oil as well. Upon completion it was estimated that 1.95 million gallons of oil was pumped from the wreck site preserving the livelihood of the inhabitants and the pristine Pacific ecosystem.
Posted by victoria at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
April 08, 2003
The Memorial on Mangejang Island
Warren and Mike have continued diving over the past few days. They also were able to visit the USS Mississinewa Memorial.
On February 10, 2003, in the midst of the US Naval operation to remove the remaining oil from the wreck, the crew and residents of Ulithi held a memorial aboard the Salvor in remembrance of the men who lost their lives aboard the Mississinewa. The following week a permanent memorial was constructed 2 1/2 miles from the wreck on the unoccupied island of Mangejang, serving as an everlasting tribute to the sailors of the USS Mississinewa.
Posted by victoria at 06:47 PM | Comments (0)
April 06, 2003
Mississinewa: Dive 2
Yesterday Mike and Warren met with the Chiefs and got their first look at the wreck site. There were good visuals on during the dive. The bow is on the portside and the rest of the vessel is upside down.
This morning they planned to head out at 9am, however, the entire population of the island was at church, to which the Sea Hunters were invited.
They left for the dive at 10:30am and arrived at the first site at 11am. Mike and Warren were able to dive for over 100 minutes. There are some promising targets in the area.
Posted by victoria at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2003
From Yap to Ulithi
There was no dive today. Mike and Warren headed over to Ulithi, the island they will be diving from. There was a death in the village so, all the chiefs have gone to another island for a funeral. The Sea Hunters spent the day preparing for a cursory dive on the Mississinewa.
Posted by victoria at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)
April 03, 2003
My Manta Rays Alright
Today was Mike and Warren's first full day on the island of Yap. After getting a tour and meeting 3 chiefs yesterday it was time to dive.
Every Diver Wants to See a Manta Ray
The manta ray is a type of cartilaginous or jawed fish. They are closely related to the shark but the rays are very flat. They can grow to a huge size, the average fin span ranges from 14 to 20 feet in width. The word manta is Spanish for blanket which accurately describes their appearance. Also described as resembling a giant bat, the manta ray can weigh up to 3000 pounds. They have been known to leap out of the water, to aid in the birth process (they give birth to live young), accidentally destroying small boats in the process.
Posted by victoria at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)
