Kim Woodcock

Favourite Local Dive - Sepia Wreck

The Sepia was a 54metre steel hull 3 masted Barque rigged sailing ship. It sank in 1898 and lies in about 15m of water between Carnac Island and Garden Island just off the Five Fathom Bank. The Sepia wreck is protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. I have been diving this wreck for almost 40 years and have seen it at various stages of deteriation. Always an interesting dive; apart from the artifacts that the wreck still reveals is the stern post rising up from the main wreckage, deck framing and anchors. Reminants of the masts still lie out on the sand. There is always plently of fish life with cuttlefish, crayfish, octopus and many small reef fish making the Sepia a very pleasant dive. (weather dependent).

Dive Qualifications

• PADI Dive Master
• TDI Advanced Trimix Diver
• CDAA Cave Diver
• Dive Equipment Service Technician – Mares, Oceanic, Aqualung, Scubapro, Cressi, Apeks

Most Memorable – San Francisco Maru

Having been diving for many years I have many memorable dives and often flick through my old dive log books. I am surprised that after reading back on the comments that I can still remember the dives so vividly. One of the more recent dive was on a trip to Truk Lagoon Micronesia where we dived the wreck of the San Fransico Maru.

The dive does not offer a lot of fish activity but does seem to be home to inquisitive Grey reef sharks. What is impressive is the way the ship just appears as you descend into the crystal clear blue water. As the wreck lies in 63m of water it still remains largely untouched. The holds contain small arms munitions, aircraft parts, trucks. bombs, torpedoes and mines. The two small battle tanks on the deck in front of the bridge and the 3 inch bow gun leaves a lasting image as a "must do again" dive.