Recently, I had the great time diving in the coast of Trinco (Actually Nilaweli and Irrakkakandy). As usual Menaka was leading the diving team and our team was consisted of a Russian Underwater videographer/ Padi instructor from Moscow, a teenage girl from Switzerland, Devana and me. Menaka is the most capable dive master I have ever dived with.
The Ship-X
After having some rest in the Pigeons Island we sailed to our next destination; the Irrakkakandy ship wreck. Ship wrecks: always mysterious, historical and my favourite.
Even though, visibility had vanished while we were descending, sunlight became brighter in the next moment. Wreck was lying beneath the shallow sea about 12m down.
It was a massive ship with no records at all! Indeed it is a mystery. No one has ever discovered the identity of this ship and whereabouts. While I was diving, I was imagining, what can be the tragic story of this ship and its sailors. What made this sinful mistake?
This ship should be fairly old but one can identify the remaining as parts of engine room and so on. Live corals had changed the shapes of most of the artefacts scattered on the sea bed.
One experienced diver has written about this ship in the dive Sri Lanka website and he suspects this as a ship with a British origin. I am now waiting till I meet our friend, marine archaeologist, Rasika Muthukumarana to see whether he can give us some hints on this mysterious ship. According to the local fishermen, wreck is still being watched by its captain’s soul.
While I write this report today, I am in my office, looking at the mighty Indian Ocean through my window and the ships that emerge from the horizon and sail towards Colombo port. Still my mind is full of unanswered questions about the Irrakkakandy ship and its tragedy. Can remaining of the ship help a historian to solve the hidden story? I don’t know! What I know is I really need to dive in to this mystery again.
Below photos were taken during our expedition;
