ANDROS
Andros is the largest group of cays and islands, but least populated
or explored
of the Bahamas. Located 170 miles southeast of Miami, much of the
island is covered with palm trees and tropical forests. Most tourist
accommodations are found on North Andros, but don't expect too much
in the way of night life.
Off the east coast of Andros lie 140 miles of barrier reef. The reef
always
offers excellent visibility, averaging 100 feet, and most dives are
done between
25 and 70 feet. More experienced divers can go outside the reef
where wall
dives and drift dives border the 6,000 foot deep trench of the
"Tongue of
the Ocean". When divers are looking for something to do during
surface
intervals, they should try their hand at bone fishing since Andros
is known
as the bone fishing capital of the world.
For more information about the Bahamas visit the Bahamas Board of
Tourism’s official website –
www.bahamas.com
LCM BARGE
The LCM wreck or Barge wreck, as she is more commonly called, was a
World War II landing craft. She was used to transport military
troops onto
the beach where her drop front door would open and allow the
amphibious
troops to walk, run, or crawl out.
In February of 1963, a local dive operator sunk the LCM in order to
attract fish, and create a site for divers. The LCM has managed to
do both
magnificently. This long, rectangular shaped wreck sits upright in
70 feet
of water. Her wheel house is in the stern where divers can still
photograph
her wheel. The wreck is home to a wide assortment of marine life
which
include a tame grouper. Fish feeding has become very popular on this
site.
MARIAN
The Marian was a barge that apparently flipped over in 1987. The
barge is
fairly large, measuring about 100 feet long with a 40 foot beam. She
sits
in 70 feet of water. The Navy tried to raise the barge, but for some
unknown
reason its attempts failed. Near this site are also the remains of a
crane that
was used in the salvage attempt.
This wreck has already attracted some fish. In another year or two,
when
coral and sponge start to cover her, she should make for a great
little fish
haven.
Wreck of the Potomic
near
Andros, Bahamas. Photo by
Stephen Frink.
Potomic
The Potomic was a
British, steel hulled tanker built in 1893 by A & J Inglis
co. and owned by the Anglo American oil Co. She was 345.2 feet long,
44.2 feet wide, weighed 3,858 gross tons, and had 426 nph triple
expansion
engines.
On September 26, 1929, while on a voyage from Baytown to London and
Hull, the Potomic was caught in a hurricane and ran aground on the
north
end of Andros. The big ship was then broken in half by the
relentless
pounding of the sea.
The Potomic wreck lies scattered in only 18 to 20 feet of water.
Divers can
still distinguish her bow section, which remains upright, and her
boilers
from the rest of the wreck. Other parts of the wreck can still be
seen
breaking the surface.
Basic shipwreck
information and images for the Bahamas section of this site was
taken with permission from the book Tropical Shipwrecks by Daniel
and Denise Berg. You are invited to submit your shipwreck related
articles, images and information. As long as the text, photographs,
sketches etc are of professional quality we will showcase them. Full
credit will be provide and a same page link to your web site can be
arranged.
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