This weekend, a decommissioned Boeing 737 was
lowered 60 feet below the waves off the east coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island (northwest of Seattle). Placed on
a 12-foot-tall pedestal, so divers could access the plane’s underbelly, British Columbia’s Artificial Reef Society facilitated the sinking of the
100-foot-long plane to create an artificial reef in an area that doesn't currently support much marine life – or
many divers. Situated on Xihuw (pronounced: key' quot) Reef, the project’s sponsors hope to re-attract
the Xihuw sea urchins that formerly made this spot their home.
While wreck sites are selected for appropriateness, local diver Jack Connick claims the site is “not subject to the good tidal flush that other projects” in the area have. Further, he rightly points out that – unlike Reef Balls or EcoReefs – “the smooth aluminum skin of the plane is not conductive to critters and plants taking hold.” So here’s a question for you: would you make a wreck dive -- any wreck dive -- if you know, beforehand, that there’s virtually no marine life to see? Or would you pass on the dive altogether?
[Via Optical Ocean]
1. Willy, you rabble rouser...
I'd like to point out that I never said that "virtually no life would grow", just that other types of reef projects are more successful in that regard. I'm sure that some growth will occur and fish may like it. This is a diving attraction and many of the ships, now airplanes, have added a lot of enjoyment for divers and been a boon to local dive communities.
They had to sell this politically and saying they were creating a "reef" worked finally. It's an experiment, some work and some fail. At least they succeeded in their project for which they should be congratulated.
Can't say I'll go out of my way to dive it, but might stop by on my way north at some point.
Jack
Posted at 12:40PM on Jan 19th 2006 by Jack Connick