Shipwreck, “Catterthun” - Seal Rocks
NSW Australia
Built in England in 1881, the 92.5 metre Catterthun was powered by steam but
also rigged as a schooner. It was one of the first Australian ships to have
electric lighting and refrigeration.
The ship sank shortly after hitting the reef behind little seal rock on the
8th of August 1895 with the loss of 55 lives as well as some live stock including
horses.
The wreck now lies on a slightly slopping, sandy bottom in 55 – 60 metres
of water.
The Catterthun was also carrying a large amount of gold coins, which less than
a year after it sank was the scene of a record breaking salvage operation. Arthur
Briggs and William May, under the supervision of Captain John Hall recovered
7 out of 10 boxes of gold from the specie room using cumbersome hard hat equipment
and being supplied with air, hand pumped from the surface. This was an amazing
feat for that time. It is still believed that gold still exists on the wreck,
but a salvage operation in the 90s failed to recover anything.
Descending onto the wreck it is surprisingly well preserved considering it
has been under water for more than 100 years. The steam engine stands proud
in the middle of the wreck, standing more than 3 metres tall. The whole wreck
is covered in beautiful corals and is a home to a mass of fish; {this is the
only reef in a desert of sand.} The bow section is twisted and tipped to one
side, this is home to a large school of Jew fish and a large Black Cod. If you
look closely in this area you can still find the odd leg bone from the Horses
that were kept in this area.
Swimming back towards the stern, you will make your way over open deck to the
large rudder pintle, from here you can still make out the sleek shape of the
hull of this once majestic vessel.
Often while doing your compulsory decompression stops you will be joined by
Common Dolphins and sometimes Bronze Whaler Sharks, an exciting way to finish
a dive on an amazing piece of Australian maritime history.
NOTE; The Catterthun is a deep wreck and is only available to dive by fully qualified and equipped divers with experience at diving to these depths. The site is also prone to strong currents and bad sea conditions, which make diving this wreck sometimes very difficult.