Bartolommeo Dias named the southern Cape peninsula the Cape of Storms, and it has indeed claimed many seafaring victims in its time. The Flying Dutchman is believed to haunt the shores, but the true ghosts are the numerous shipwrecks dotted around the peninsular. There are thought to be about 3000 vessels lying beneath the surface here. These wrecks offer us a wealth of history and marine life, as well as endless possibilities for divers.
Like time capsules, a ship wreck has frozen everything from the time it sank in one place, from utensils to clothing, equipment and treasures, so they are archeologically invaluable and fascinating for divers. Wrecks older than 60 years are legally protected to preserve our cultural heritage; but sadly, they are still looted for keepsakes and this devalues them for later visitors.
One such wreck, Joanna, was a treasure hunter’s dream. The East Indian company ship was wrecked near Cape Agulhas in 1682. Most of the passengers were spared and made it safely to Cape Town, however, ten drowned. 300 years later Charles Shapiro and his crew salvaged 23 000 gold coins and hundreds of kilograms of silver.
A ship from the same time period, The Kraaiestein, offers an easy dive (only 15 m deep) and is a popular night dive site in the summer. Another ship of the Dutch East India Company, she didn’t last past her maiden voyage and sank in 1698. The Kraaietein holds a secret of three missing chests of coins, which were possibly taken by Simon van der Stel’s soldiers. Be prepared to spot an array of marine life and quite a few large canons.
A tragic shipwreck was the Arniston in 1815 that only spared 6 sailors. The small town nearby took its name from the famous wreck, and is close to Cape Agulhas. The Arniston was headed back to Great Britain from Ceylon on its eighth voyage, but had not been equipped with the latest navigational instrument of the time, a marine chronometer which determined longitude accurately. As a result of this, the Captain incorrectly assumed that the ship had already gone past Cape Point. More than 30 years later another ship saw its end very close to the Arniston at Gansbaai. The HMS Birkenhead, an iron-hulled royal navy ship was transporting troops to Algoa bay. Only a third of the 600 plus passengers were saved, and the soldiers stood back chivalrously for the women and children to take up the available lifeboats first. This gave rise to the common protocol of ‘women and children first’, which later saw twice as many women saved on the Titanic as men. Although not popular diving territory yet, the Arniston and Birkenhead are reachable by boat from Cape Agulhas.
On a late winter’s day in 1909, the steamship SS Maori on was wrecked on the granite cliffs of Llandudno in a storm. The wreck lies between granite boulders in 30m of water, and owing to its sheltered position is both well preserved and easily accessible to scuba divers in calm weather. Unfortunately many of the artifacts have been taken. In the seventies, people still unearthed bottles of wine which contained an undrinkable substance.
To reach the five wrecks of Smitswinkel Bay, which were scuttled to form reefs, divers must take a boat from Kalkbay, Simon’s bay or Miller’s point. The average depth is about 35m, but the sites are only suitable for more experienced divers, who are able to reach all five wrecks in one dive. Although not archeologically rich, these wreck support a burgeoning coral growth and a variety of fish.
The wrecks span centuries and tell many stories, from the first ships to tentatively round the Cape peninsular in the 15th century, to modern day naval ships. Whether you enjoy an easy recreational dive, or are an advanced diver and adventurer keen to explore uncharted territory, the Cape Peninsular offers a wealth of wreck diving activities and history.
Frances wrote this article for the Dive Time Scuba diving services “Divetime.com is the premier Scuba diving destination on the internet, with a unique offering of Scuba related information and services to divers everywhere”
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