DevonDiver
N/A
The USS New York Wreck....Dive it whilst you can. 
Despite lying only 300m in front of the Subic Harbor Authority offices, the wreck has recently been subjected to a spate of illegal salvage. Local hookah divers and homemade dynamite. The incompetence and/or corruption of the responsible authorities seems to know no bounds, as this is literally under their noses.
The USS New York isn't the only wreck targeted. The San Quentin has lost an estimated 30 tonnes of metal in the last 2-3 months - again all taken, with associated catastrophic environmental damage, by local hookah divers using homemade dynamite. That wreck has laid peacefully since 1891... and has significant historical value. The illegal salvage operation also resulted in the plunder of many giant clams (for meat) - which had grown to epic sizes since being planted by a local university over 25 years ago. Only 2 clams now remain.
The loss of these wrecks, and marine eco-systems that flourish because of them, is horrendous.... I can't imagine the scale of damage to the regions long-term tourism potential. All for the sake of a few pesos per kilo of rusting steel that the culprits will be getting at the local scrap yards.
If local authorities continue with their campaign of seemingly willful inaction, there will be nothing left to dive in Subic Bay within a few years.
Despite lying only 300m in front of the Subic Harbor Authority offices, the wreck has recently been subjected to a spate of illegal salvage. Local hookah divers and homemade dynamite. The incompetence and/or corruption of the responsible authorities seems to know no bounds, as this is literally under their noses.
The USS New York isn't the only wreck targeted. The San Quentin has lost an estimated 30 tonnes of metal in the last 2-3 months - again all taken, with associated catastrophic environmental damage, by local hookah divers using homemade dynamite. That wreck has laid peacefully since 1891... and has significant historical value. The illegal salvage operation also resulted in the plunder of many giant clams (for meat) - which had grown to epic sizes since being planted by a local university over 25 years ago. Only 2 clams now remain.
The loss of these wrecks, and marine eco-systems that flourish because of them, is horrendous.... I can't imagine the scale of damage to the regions long-term tourism potential. All for the sake of a few pesos per kilo of rusting steel that the culprits will be getting at the local scrap yards.
If local authorities continue with their campaign of seemingly willful inaction, there will be nothing left to dive in Subic Bay within a few years.
Wreck Preservation - It's NOT more fun in the Philippines!
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