Wreck of the Chikuzen

The Chikuzen is a derelict refrigeration vessel that was abandoned by a Japanese fishing fleet in St. Marten.  The hulk drifted into the BVI where it was towed out to a spot between Tortola and Anegada and finally sunk.  The 246 foot ship now rests on her port side on a bed of white sand in 80 feet of water.  Her starboard rail comes within 45 of the surface.  The wreck is marked on charts, but we found that the reported position of the wreck is over a nautical mile off.  Luckily we managed to get our hands on the GPS coordinates of the wreck.  I'll definitely be holding onto these numbers.

This dive was far and away the best of any of my admittedly few dives.  We were incredibly lucky with ocean conditions.  The wreck is miles from the nearest land, and completely unprotected.  The slightest swell destroys the visibility and kicks up currents that make diving the wreck dangerous to suicidal.  We had vis that easily exceeded 100 feet.  To get a feel of how crystal clear the water was, the pictures I've posted here were taken using only ambient light at 80 feet.  The wreck was incredible, and we encountered curious barracuda, massive groupers, cobia, and more.  An incredible dive.