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WWII WRECKS
OFF MONTEREY
Two long-lost amphibious
vehicles are a mystery.
When divers think Monterey, they
think rich kelp forests; wrecks aren’t
usually associated with this rugged
stretch of the California coast. But
recently, a group of divers found
two unidentified, coral-encrusted
LVTs (Landing Vehicles Tracked) two
miles off Monterey. Sitting upright
on a sand flat at 100 feet, these
tank-like amphibious vehicles may
have been used during World War II
at Fort Ord, on the Monterey Peninsula. But little is known about them,
and the Pacific has weathered them
beyond recognition. Now, divers
who brave the current and limited
vis (30 feet on a good day) can
make out the overgrown vehicles’
hatches and tracks, but no penetration is possible. The LVTs can be
dived by special arrangement with
Cypress Charters, www.cypresschar
ters.com. — J E F F W I L D E R M U T H
T R AV E L
)
Go Deep With a
Scuba Legend
Next month, Oceanic Society Expeditions is offering an eight-day diving adventure on Belize’s Turneffe Atoll with Dr. Sylvia Earle. The pioneering marine biologist will be leading dives and giving presentations
on the atoll’s marine life to a limited number of participants at Blackbird
Caye Resort, from January 11 to 18, 2006. Price: $2,295 per person. Proceeds benefit the Oceanic Society’s environmental work on Turneffe. For
more information, visit www.oceanic-society.org.
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SCUBA DIVING
DECEMBER 2005
Pickup from July 2005:
SC07CURR01
JEFF WILDERMUTH (TOP); STEVE SIMONSEN (BOTTOM RIGHT)
(