There’s a new book out this month that chronicles the diving of a bunch of shipwrecks.
“Diving For Treasure: Discovering History in the Depths,” by Vic Verlinden and Stefan Panis, is part of the Whittles Dive Series, a collection of books that deal with all types of diving, from cave diving to rebreather and mixed-gas diving to shipwrecks.
The book recounts the efforts over many years to dive 17 wrecks that contained treasure in one form or another. The often prolonged and sometimes dangerous expeditions tell of dives to many ships that were wrecked while carrying tons of gold or other valuables. Many of the wrecks came to lie at great depths which demanded considerable diving expertise using rebreathers which allowed longer dives to be performed.
The authors are both diving experts and in addition to the accounts and historical pictures they have added their own photography to convey to the reader the challenges of the dives undertaken. The technical demands had to have been considerable, from adjusting the camera housing to accommodate the depth to diving at particular times of the year because many of the wrecks were situated in areas of high seas and extreme currents. Many of these wrecks have been the subject of concerted efforts from salvage teams but success could never be assumed.
The book took several years to compile, involving dives to photograph the wrecks which provide a fascinating account of the vessels and their treasure, and the challenges of diving in what can be a dangerous environment. Each entry provides details and a brief history of the vessel and the means of its demise, enhanced by a modern diving account with photographs.
So if you’re an active or armchair diver or someone with an interest in maritime or military history, this might be the book for you.
Stay tuned for DeeperBlue.com’s full review in the coming weeks.
