Scuttled HMAS Adelaide will become haven for marine life

HMAS Adelaide goes under after dolphin display delays scuttling

 

Once a warship that came to the rescue of asylum seekers and doomed yachtsmen, the epic life of HMAS Adelaide will not be forgotten as it is transformed into a haunting underwater haven for marine life, divers say.

A pod of dolphins delayed the scuttling for almost 90 minutes this morning, after more than a year of battles between the NSW government and environmentalists over whether to turn it into a dive wreck off Avoca Beach on the central coast.

Down she goes ... HMAS Adelaide is scuttled.

Down she goes ... HMAS Adelaide is scuttled. Photo: Nick Moir
 

At 11.50am a flare was let off and the decommissioned warship quickly sank about 30 metres.

The ship - which served in war, rescued asylum seekers and saved solo round-the-world yachtsmen Tony Bullimore and Thierry Dubois - will now be home to sea creatures.

Terrigal Dive Centre's Byron Potter, who has dived through many wrecks, said the ship would soon be covered in bright green algae, and be filled with molluscs, barnacles and fish.

There she goes ... the detonation on HMAS Adelaide that led to her sinking.

There she goes ... the detonation on HMAS Adelaide that led to her sinking. Photo: Nick Moir

 

"It will be this really evolving beautiful eco-system," Mr Potter said.

Even underwater, the history of the ship will come to life, with many of its corridors and compartments preserved in the darkness.

"It will be like a big adventure maze," Mr Potter said. "You do get a very large sense of how hard it would be to work on some of these ships.

The sky's the limit for protesters.

The sky's the limit for protesters. Photo: Nick Moir

 

"With the scuttle wreck, it's a beautiful, gorgeous end to her life. It basically becomes this really nice dive.

"Hundreds of servicemen over the years have worked on this vessel protecting us. You'll get this really great sense of  'this is what it was really like'."

The NSW government anticipates the site will be open to divers in about a week, once the ship has been deemed safe.

The dolphins get up close to the bow of the HMAS Adelaide.

The dolphins get up close to the bow of HMAS Adelaide. Photo: Nick Moir

 

Divers will have to buy tickets to explore the ship themselves or go through dive companies, but the ticket price has not yet been set.

Group loses battle

The No Ship Action Group failed to halt the sinking over their environmental concerns yesterday, in the end of a battle that dates back to late 2009.

The pod of dolphins passes the HMAS Adelaide off Avoca before the scuttling operation today.

The pod of dolphins passes HMAS Adelaide off Avoca before the scuttling operation today. Photo: Nick Moir

 

The group filed a summons at the Land and Environment Court, addressed to NSW Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson and NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker, but the scuttling went ahead.

Protesters attributed the presence of the dolphins to a local Aboriginal elder, Lila Kirby, who performed a whale calling ceremony on Sunday. Ms Kirby said the dolphins were making a statement.

"I've got nothing to do with it now," she said. "I've let them go to do what they want to do. This is their turf and this is their land."

The dolphins only metres away from the doomed war ship.

The dolphins only metres away from the doomed warship. Photo: Nick Moir

 

A federal judge approved the sinking last year but imposed stringent conditions.

The ship was scuttled by allowing a controlled flow of water to inundate the vessel through holes cut above and below the water line.

There were 16 so-called "cutting charges" in the hull below the water line, which were detonated, forming liquid copper to cut through the steel hull and allow water to flood into the ship.

Spectator craft wait for the scuttling off Avoca beach.

Spectator craft wait for the scuttling off Avoca Beach. Photo: Nick Moir

 

Around the beach, local businesses were buzzing with crowds who had come to see the sinking.

Tracey Boxsell from The Point Cafe said staff at the 80-seat beachfront eatery were happy to be "inundated" with customers.

But it wasn't such a jubilant morning for everyone.

Final journey ... HMAS Adelaide is towed out of Sydney Harbour.

Final journey ... HMAS Adelaide was towed out of Sydney Harbour on Monday. Photo: Nick Moir

 

Jeremy Moses, who was filming the protesters on the beach, said children began slowly banging drums as the ship sank, marking an emotional moment.

"A lot of people were kind of hugging their loved ones and crying because for them it was the end of a long process."

 

Stephanie Gardiner

April 13, 2011 - 2:28PM

 

 


spanishmackeral's picture

Posts: 940

Date Joined: 05/01/11

sad to see a ship like that

Wed, 2011-04-13 19:37

sad to see a ship like that sunk, but its gonna be put to good use, with divers etc.

i rekon they should sink a ship out of perth in the 30s, that will definately be a haven for some demersal speciman

Posts: 601

Date Joined: 02/01/11

And attach those

Wed, 2011-04-13 23:24

And attach those environmentalists to the wreck as well

 

MY

Paul H's picture

Posts: 2104

Date Joined: 18/01/07

Don't know what the greenies

Thu, 2011-04-14 10:39

Don't know what the greenies were claiming as far as reasons why they were against it.  Need more artifical reefs around the place but would be good to see a few more put down that you can actually fish rather than dive only....

 

Cheers

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hlokk's picture

Posts: 4290

Date Joined: 04/04/08

Exactly, they'll produce MORE

Thu, 2011-04-14 11:11

Exactly, they'll produce MORE marine life :p. Remember, a lot of greenies arent rational. Saving the environment is good, but only when its justified by facts, not ideologies.


As for fish wrecks, they wouldnt even need anything fancy (unlike a dive site where it should look pretty). Just dump a bunch of 'rubbish' into the ocean at the right place. E.g. old loaders, scrap metal, concrete blocks, rubble, frames, etc. A least we have some actual wrecks to fish on (barges, biscayne, etc). Dont know of many that were deliberately sunk (except a few tire reefs, but didnt think they produced a lot?)

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Date Joined: 20/01/11

Lead

Thu, 2011-04-14 12:18

I was wondering the same thing and found out they are concerned with the marine paint containing large amounts of lead, around a tonne. Apparently a piece of paint the size of a 5c  coin can give a kid brain damage according to the protestors. Other protests included the $$ value in scrap metal being chucked into the ocean

Might think twice eating something off that wreck, but still think artificial wrecks are great and would love some more in suitable areas for fishing.

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Date Joined: 01/02/10

The arguement is that

Thu, 2011-04-14 11:32

The arguement is that artificial reefs only concentrate fish in one area. Not actually contribute much more than that.

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

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Date Joined: 10/03/11

Artifical Reefs

Thu, 2011-04-14 14:53

There's science around now that artifical reefs can produce more fish if  they are placed  in known spawning areas. This is a way I feel Fisheries need to proceed especially in places like Geo Bay.

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Have you got a link?

Thu, 2011-04-14 15:09

Have you got a link?

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

hlokk's picture

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Theres a tire reef in geo bay

Thu, 2011-04-14 15:13

Theres a tire reef in geo bay near dunsborough, but havent heard of it fishing brilliantly. Would be interesting if they just dumped concrete blocks or boulders in spots though. Nothing fancy, nothing polluting, but just little reef clumps perhaps.

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Tyre Reef hlokk

Thu, 2011-04-14 15:23

when they put the tyre reef in there was fish taking up residence on them within half an hour but things have progressed a long way since then with purpose built structures now being produced. There are a few illegal arti. reefs out in the bay that have large colonies of juvanile snapper using them as protection from larger predatory fish. I'll try and post a pic so you can see for yourselves. The tyre reef by the way has mostly broken up now.

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MV Dodgy

Thu, 2011-04-14 19:26

Good fun if you ever get the chance to do it. Dont think too many people would have had the choice to go down with the ship...

http://www.fishingterritory.com/videos/mvdodgy.wmv

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

uncle's picture

Posts: 9321

Date Joined: 10/02/07

no more wars then

Thu, 2011-04-14 13:05

hate to see ww2 repeated and all those wrecks on the ocean floor!!!!!!!!!!

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Rod P's picture

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Date Joined: 20/05/08

I think the greenies were

Thu, 2011-04-14 15:47

I think the greenies were saying they were happier that they had made the ship be cleaned more and more material removed . So i think maybe they did help. A Lot of work normally goes into cleaned and preparing a ship for skuttle, maybe they were a little lapse in there first proposal..Went down fast..

Are there any under water shots yet?

tailor marc's picture

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 Ex HMAS Adelaide - pre

Thu, 2011-04-14 20:10

 

Ex HMAS Adelaide - pre scuttling preview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7873jVffZ8&feature=related

 

 

 

 

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tailor marc's picture

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 ABC News 24 - Ex HMAS

Thu, 2011-04-14 20:12

 

ABC News 24 - Ex HMAS Adelaide Scuttling LIVE (April 13th, 2011)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHwNtt-L39M&feature=related

 

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