Bikini Atoll
When I started talking about going to Bikini atoll, my friends thought I was seriously deranged (those that didn't already think so). "You won't need a torch for the night dives, everything will be glowing green." and "Take lead underpants and leave your weight belt behind" were just some of the comments I received.
But those of us into serious wreck diving travel have been hearing rumours about the wrecks of Bikini for years. In 1946 Bikini atoll was the location selected for "Operation Crossroads", a sequence of tests designed to investigate the effect of atomic bombs on warships. A fleet of war surplus American and captured Japanese and German ships were moored in circles about ground zero - the point of detonation. All were fuelled and armed to represent the actual state of the ships during time of war.
The first bomb, "Able", was dropped from the B29 bomber "Dave's Dream" on 1 July 1946. It detonated 500 feet above the water and half a mile off target. The attack transport Gilliam and the Japanese cruiser Sakawa were blown to pieces and sank instantly. Lighter ships suffered extensive superstructure damage, with the destroyer Lampson also sinking. Many of the heavier ships survived relatively unscathed.
Fallout from Operation Crossroads and subsequent bomb tests made the islands of Bikini atoll uninhabitable, but contamination has now declined to a point where it is once again safe to visit. In July 1996, Bikini Atoll was opened for visitors as "The world’s ultimate wreck diving destination".
Top of the list for most divers is the aircraft carrier Saratoga. It would be easy to think that the Saratoga was special compared to the other Bikini dives. Where else can you dive an almost and intact aircraft carrier? But in some way every dive at Bikini was special.
Underneath the upturned hulls of the battleships Nagato and Arkansas are enormous main gun turrets. It is hard to comprehend the sheer size of these monsters of naval warfare. We could sit on the seabed at 54m and look up at the four huge propellers and two rudders of the Nagato. Towards the bows, the Nagato's heavily armoured bridge is twisted to port and laid out across the seabed. Looking at the thickness of the armour, it is hard to conceive of the destructive force needed to even scratch such a ship.
Beneath the overhanging decks, light reflects from the white sand of the lagoon to provide a surprisingly high level of ambient light. Secondary and main gun turrets are festooned with whip corals.
Related pages: