MV Produce

The Produce, a Norwegian bulk carrier, struck the northern edge of Aliwal Shoal in 1974 and went down with no loss of life: the crew was famously rescued with help from local fishermen. Fifty years of Indian Ocean later, she lies broken and softened on the sand, her holds and hull plates a giant fish shelter. Brindle bass the size of small sofas loiter in the shadows, oversized morays share cracks with lobster, and clouds of geelbek and baitfish wash over the wreckage. The site's mood depends entirely on the day's water: emerald and moody or blue and generous.

اللحظة التي جئت من أجلها: Resident giant grouper (brindle bass); fish-packed broken holds

التضاريس: Large broken freighter lying on sand inshore of the shoal proper

التيار: Open-water descent down a line; current and visibility swing with the Agulhas edge.

المخاطر: Depth, loose plates and snag points, and variable visibility.

التصاريح والقواعد: Aliwal Shoal MPA permit required, arranged via operators.

الحفاظ على البيئة البحرية: The wreck is protected within the MPA: no artifact recovery, no penetration of unstable sections.

نيتروكس: يستحق الأمر هنا: الملفات الشخصية تقع في النطاق الذي يُمدّد فيه الهواء المدعّم (نيتروكس) وقت الغوص دون توقف تمديدًا ملموسًا، مع التدريب اللازم لاستخدامه.