Tristan : Tristan: Divers Inspect Stranded Oil Rig
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 26.09.2006 (Article Archived on 28.11.2006)
Since the Tug Zouros Hellas departed Tristan on Saturday the 29th July without being able to remove the rig, the Tristanians have been waiting anxiously to see what was to become of it.
Photos (c) James Glass (Tristan Times) Sue Scott preparing to dive at rig with Duncan in the background
Latest on the Rig “A Turtle” ex PXXI aground off Tristan da Cunha
25 September 2006
Since the Tug Zouros Hellas departed Tristan on Saturday the 29th July without being able to remove the rig, the Tristanians have been waiting anxiously to see what was to become of it.
Arriving on the South African research ship SA Agulhas were Marine Biologist/ Photographer Sue Scott from Scotland and Geoff Fridjhon from South Africa (SS & GF) to do an Environmental Assessment. However due to bad weather conditions they have not been able to do much surveying at the rig because of heavy swells breaking in the harbour and around the island
Conditions have been marginal for diving at the rig, with a viority of swell and poor visibility. Since the tug departed the island the rig has tilted slightly to seaward, which wasn’t obvious, when they departed.
Two dives have taken place on the 21 and 22nd September, on the first dive SS & GF dived, without underwater cameras as it was considered likely that they would be damaged, due to the heavy swell and poor visibility. Although the dive ended after only ten minutes, it was useful as considerable marine growth was seen on the legs of the rig.
The next day the weather had moderated and SS & GF dive again,
Conditions were better than the previous day with fewer swells although occasionally a large one would sweep the dives off the rig. The dive lasted approximately an hour, which included a collecting of specimens and taking photos.
The outcome was, there appeared to be more growing on the legs than originally thought, the legs were coated with large quantities of dead coral, barnacle and oyster shells, while the horizontal sections had less coral but more oyster and other bivalve shells, a few small hard corals, a few large mussels, large dark red anemones etc, some which at depth were alive, and are non-native to Tristan.
A collection of specimens was made and will be process in the coming days. Today the 25th September the weather turned terrible and looks like it could be a number of days before it will be possible to do anymore survey work at the rig.
Sarah Glass
Photo
- Sue Scott preparing to dive at rig with Duncan in the background
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