Just got these photos through from Alex Blanckley whilst diving in Indonesia on the Sophie Rickmers Wreck, Pulau Weh, North Sumatra. Black and White is not a medium often used by many underwater photographers, not wanting to sacrifice the myriad of colors found on the reef, but we think it works really well in the right hands.
This 134m wreck is a cargo steam ship built by the Germans in 1920 and is just one of many vessels that were confiscated by the Dutch during the World War II. However the crew sunk the ship the very same day in the bay of Pria Laot, making it just a convenient 20 minute boat ride from Lumba Lumba dive center on Gapang Beach.
With the wheelhouse at 37m, the decks around 45m and the straight bow resting on the bottom at over 55m the dive does require some special decompression procedures. Once down, in the mist of some pretty giddy narcosis, you’ll be greeted by a mob of oversize residents including a surly looking grouper, intimidating morays not much smaller than you and some rather aggressive looking trevally, hardly the welcoming party you were hoping for, anyway it will certainly add to the eerie atmosphere. However there’s also a school of somewhat more friendly looking batfish that will often accompany you on your deco stop.
