Aircraft Carrier Wreck Near Sri Lanka

[gxdoyle]

Somebody mentioned to me that there is a sunken aircraft carrier near sri lanka.

Does anybody know what this wreck is and whether anybody dives it..?

Thanks

 

[Rickg]

Try this link to a Times article about this.

http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501021104-384888,00.html

Also, if you do a Google search on "Sri Lanka sunken aircraft carrier" you will find a lot of hits.

Rickg

 

[gxdoyle]

..found it..a 60 meter deep aircraft carrier..one of only two divable aircraft carriers in the entire world..and a missing destroyer to go with it!..

This has gotta be worth a trip..but a web search showed found no operators running dives out there.got any ideas ..?

Thanks

 

[Rickg]

gxdoyle,

Here is the best I can do for you.

http://www.island.lk/2002/06/23/featur13.html

http://www.scubaspots.com/Listings.asp?Location=SriLanka (scroll down to Aquatic Adventures Diving)

Good luck on finding someone to to take you out to her.

Rickg

 

[Kendall Raine]

This was a wreck featured in Blue Water White Death-Gimble's movie with Stan Waterman, the Taylors and Giddings about Great White's which came out, if memory serves, in the late 60's.

I spoke to Stan about the dive on a trip to Cocos in 1993. He said the wreck was on its side and badly crushed. As I recall, Gimble got bent on the dive-they were using Bend-O-Matics on a 200 foot air dive and they had lots of oceanic white tips on the dive.

 

[KB4Diving]

British light carrier - HMS Hermes - sunk on April 9, 1942 off the east coast of Sri Lanka. I understand after years of civil strife, guerilla warfare, etc., area may not be so conducive or accessible to tourists, much less divers

 

[gxdoyle]

Thanks for the information everybody, this is very helpful.

We have decided to attempt to put together an expedition to dive this wreck in Jan/Feb next year with a liveaboard brought over from Singapore with a load of Helium / oxygen and search for the vampire in nearby waters. We have engaged some local Sri Lankan consultants to obtain all the required permits.

I'm pretty sure they have stopped shooting over there, at least for the moment...

 

[Wijbrandus]

I'm pretty sure they have stopped shooting over there, at least for the moment...

This moment, perhaps. But what about the moment you are in the water over there?

Let us know what happens. That wreck would be an awesome goal for me to reach in about ... oh ... ten years or so.

 

[sport.diving]

HI divers,
I am Felician PADI IDC Staff Instructor from Sri lanka. I re-located the wreckage of the world's first purpose built air craft carrier "HMS HERMES" off the East coast of Sri lanka. I run the only dive centre providing and organizing tec /Trimix dive trips to dive the Hermes. Now it is the season to dive. sms +94 777648459
Happy diving
feli

 

[sport.diving]

HI There is one dive operator in Sri lanka now operating and conducting expeditions to dive the sunken air craft carrier. Sea my report on Google. A visit to the air craft carrier. I have been diving there since a few years. Trimix too is available.
Felician