HUMBOLDT
"The Indestructable", "The Rebel"

Finally on 9th September 1993, the Humboldt was to be sunk after much effort and many problems.

On the morning of 7th September 1993, the "Maoyo" towed the freshly cleaned Humboldt until the Dumbea Pass. But 500m from the pass on the interior of the Hannibal reef, the HUMBOLDT stubbornly refused to sink.

A team of workers loaded the old fishing boat to send it to the depths. However, after proving impossible to sink, the ship remained for 2 days 3/4 underwater, the stern resting on the bottom at 22m and the bow inverted pointing towards the sky. Photo "Les Nouvelles calédoniennes"

Since Japan...

Coming over from Japan in1989, its real name being "FUKUMARU" (meaning good luck), rebaptised, the"HUMBOLDT" was a fishing boat owned by the Socalpi company.
It sailed out of Noumea for many weeks, crossing between Isle of Pines and Norfolk, with its thirty crew, fishing the "Bérix" at a depth 600m.

After the collapse of the company that ran the ship, the life of the ship cane to an end, but only on the surface...
After making a mess of the scuttling on 7th September 1993, it took another 60 kgs of dynamite to bring an end to the steel ship on 9th September 1993.

Forever onwards it lies on a sandy bottom, close to a small colony of coral. Quickly adopted by the underwater life and especially by a great colony of "Rascasses poules" (Pterois volitans), the HUMBOLDT is a great place for underwater photography.

It was destined by the "fish Gods" that it would one time be a refuge for fish and a superb exploration dive for those of the country from which it came - our japanese tourists.

Not marked from the surface it takes knowledge to find it. The wreck is orientated South-South-East, lying on its starboard at 22m depth.

The dive...

You will approach by the portside guardrail at a depth of 13m and will start the dive from the bow bridge.
The doors to the cold storage rooms remain open, allowing to cross the wreck from one side to the other, passing through a cloud of fry and leaving by 2 large gaping holes caused by the explosives during sinking.
The helm has been cleared of all its navigational instruments, including the steering wheel, but still makes a very interesting vertical swim-through full of small baby fish.
The propellers and bow will delight the amateur photograper, with large groupers and snapper. It is not unusual to find large lobsters hiding under the wreck, near the starboard guardrail.
About 30 metres East from the stern of the ship there is a beautiful coral formation worth visiting. A most pleasurable dive through myriads of fish and sometimes even a visit from a large ray.

This wreck is a lot less frequented than some such as "LA DIEPPOISE". Not because it is less interesting, but to our knowledge only one diving club comes here often enough, NOUMEA DIVING, making this the best club for diving on the Humboldt.