Navy ship to be immortalised as artificial reef - Karwar News - Economic Times

A decommissioned Indian Navy ship has become part of an environmental project to showcase the country's marine life - offering adventure tourists opportunities for underwater tours of the vessel.

The ship, which has been sunk off the Karnataka coast in the Arabian sea, will serve as an artificial reef and over time become a natural home to weeds, sea plants, fishes and other creatures of the sea.

The ship, Seaward Defence Boat T-54, had guarded the country's maritime borders for 23 years from the time it was commissioned in September 1982.

The 162-tonne vessel, also known as 'The Ever Vigilant', was sunk off Karwar Port January 30. Prior to this, it was brought for "final preparations" to Karwar, where the Indian Navy is developing a major base.

The electrical wiring and the communication system were removed from the ship and traces of oil cleaned from the fuel tanks. The ship was then towed out, mines were fitted on the vessel and detonated, causing it to sink.

"The mines exploded and sea water rushed into the compartmets. After two blasts, the ship started sinking slowly - stern first and then the bow," an official said.

A survey conducted by a diver revealed the vessel was nestled on the seabed.

The area has initially been opened to professional divers as the underwater visibility has to improve to about six metres before it is possible to view the ship from glass-bottomed boats. The ship will also promote scuba diving as a sport.

Being a first of its kind of project for the Indian Navy, a lot of deliberation had gone into the identification of the site, and the planning and execution of the project.

"The weapon systems and most of the ship's machinery were removed after it was decommissioned. For the project, relevant parts of the ship which had to be cut away to give access were carefully photographed and demarcated," an official said describing the preparations before the ship was sunk.

"Moreover, in view of the strict naval guidelines for dismantling and cleaning the ship, all potential contaminants that could adversely effect marine life were removed to make T-54 as environmentally safe as possible," the official added.

Technorati : Navy ship to be immortalised as artificial reef - News - Economic Times Karwar

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Swimming at the edge of Victoria Falls

It may look insane, but the guy at the picture is not a Photoshoped silhouette placed over a fake landscape. He's swimming at the Devil’s Pool, a natural rock pool at the very top of the Victoria Falls, at Zimbabwe, with a height of about 100 metres.

From Wikitravel: You will have the opportunity to stand in shallow water, 2 inches (literally) from where the water gushes over the edge of the falls, and swim in Devil's Pool, a reasonable current-free pool a couple of feet from the top of the falls, close enough to lean over the edge. This makes fantastic photo opportunities with a permanent rainbow from the mist of the falls behind you".
Source Link - http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2008/02/swimming-at-edge-of-victoria-falls.html

Kaiga Trip - Three Water falls, Forest, Nuclear Plant...

Route :- Karwar-40km-Kadra-5km-Mallapur-16km-Kaiga -via-Hartuga-15km-Baare-6km-Maavalli(Yellapur Taluk)

It had rained the preceding night, when at 3a.m. my friend Devrath Hanehali, Devu for short, landed up at Karwar Railway Station, for this visit. Left Karwar with a tank full petrol in my LML Vespa NV at 9-15a.m. Stopped at Gotegali village to view a bunch of kids enjoying their holidays, flying a kite, and then headed through Kadra village took the Kaiga Cross at Mallapur. Reached the Kaiga Check Post, where one road heads into the Nuclear Power Plant and the other heads up the hills to Maavalli, which is the subject of this trip. One has to pass before the Kadra Dam, and

After a brief "check-up" with the Police at the check post, we started up the hill on the Vespa....
We saw this view of the Nuclear Power Plant from the top... Looks so insecure, if this is what our system means by "National Security" then breaching it may be kids'play.. It is said that the road will be widened for free movement of traffic, and then God save us from Terror threats !!
The Road is a single Road, ravaged by heavy rainfall, and as one heads up the road, you can come across three water-falls on the road side, and one huge waterfall that is slightly down the road. The place is infested with blood-sucking Leeches, that appear from nowhere to draw blood, and you wont even know it.

Along the road you can find three pristine waterfalls, and as you near the peak of the mountain, there is a huge waterfall that you will come to know by hearing its roar... Devu had been to this waterfall even before the Nuclear Power Plant was completed, and this is said to be visible from the Plant. The Views there are capable to making it to your Desktop Screens as wallpapers. Such is the pristine greenery and natural beauty of the Rain Forest.
As you reach the plateau (main land) you are immediately greeted by paddy fields (it was October) and then later the Village starts. This is a massive country-side house that we came across just beside the Road. The house not less than 4000sq.ft carpet area is owned by a Farmer - Bella Kunabi. Check out the slide show for more pictures of the house.