Deep Sea Detectives

[c-monkey]

If the intention of your post was to share a great experience with the board and make me jealous that you got to dive with John and Ritchie.... it worked!

 

[dlndavid]

Gold bars? Where?

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

If the intention of your post was to share a great experience with the board and make me jealous that you got to dive with John and Ritchie.... it worked!

Yeah, I guess that's what I was shooting for!

 

[MEL-DC Diver]

I understand what you are saying, it's the policy you disagree with, but don't you think it would be nice for other divers to be able to see the wrecks and artifacts? If someone has the intention of recovering something and bringing it to a museum, a lot of times that can be arranged with the permitting process. My experience has been different though. People have valuable artifacts rusting in their garages wasting away where nobody can see them. It is merely a trophy to them. Not to mention, I know of people who brought LIVE munitions up as their trophy. There are obvious dangers to that.

I can see the hypocracies though. If a house burned down and people died in the fire, would it be wrong to go through the ashes to find their jewlery? I would say so if you are just a sport looter so to say. Like Cornfed said, no one would want to salvage a tomb stone. War graves are essentially that.

I certainly don't want to put anyone on the defensive. Sometimes these posts are taken the wrong way. I don't mind stirring the pot, as long as we can have a civilized conversation about it. so far, so good, more or less.

Hmm why destroy anything in the water? Leave it intact then the next person can have the experience on it the same as you just did. If it's falling to bits or half wrecked anyway so what. It's a live marine environment that has no need to be pulled to pieces for portholes or whatever other bit of tat you might want to proclaim you are diver.

If the thing is down there leave it there, then we can all get a chance to have a look. Of course any gold bars are fair game

OK - These are the kinds of responses I was waiting for - What took so long?

 

[c-monkey]

Yeah, I guess that's what I was shooting for!

I shoulda said it worked FOR ME (and my husband too, who said dang that is SO COOL). Apparently others have decided to make it into another discussion... but whatever, I say YAY for you!!

 

[MEL-DC Diver]

Actually, diving w/ Kohler and Chatterton is pretty cool. Those guys have serious dive knowledge and experience to spare. I wouldn't have turned down the opportunity to learn a few things.

 

[StSomewhere]

If its a war grave, that's a different beast.

I find it interesting that the Japanese frequently go to the trouble to bring back their sailors.

 

[Double_D]

Super! I'd sure love to meet or dive with those guys. I devoured the book in a few days. What a memory to savor - congrats! Feel free to post any pics you took, because we'd like to see them.

 

[ScubaThor]

If its a war grave, that's a different beast.

I find it interesting that the Japanese frequently go to the trouble to bring back their sailors.

I think a lot of governments try to bring back as many remains as possible...or declare a site a grave and off-limits. If I'm not mistaken, the wrecks actually remain the property of the original government (at least with military vessels) and are protected by law....but then again, Chatterton and Kohler took tons of stuff from the U-869. I guess I have no point afterall.....

 

[Kriterian]

Nah, that's true. From what I've read, these guys are very respectful of war graves. Earlier I was referring to the massive tonnage they hauled from the Andrea Doria and the like.

Except the Andrea Doria is neither a war-grave OR protected. It was an accident in international waters and they were not the only ones to loot it. I think your bashing of them is more stirring the pot than the original posters nice thread.

Thanks for the heads up OBX, sounds like you had a great time and a nice experience. I hope to meet them one day too. Although I found it a little odd that Richie is using a rebreather for the first time so late. Maybe he's just old fashioned like he sounded in Shadow Divers.