ADMAT's Island Wreck - Underwater 9 Saxonia Reef

The Island Wreck Site Underwater And Associated Photographs - Saxonia Reef

Page 9

While examining the wrecking process for The Island Wreck we were looking seaward from the site to determine if the ship hit another reef before hitting the island reefs and ending up in its current position. One reef which was in alignment was a reef called the "Canon Ballast Reef" or Saxonia. This is a small reef which rises from the deep sea floor on the edge of the Monte Cristi Bank and is approximately 12 miles out from the shore. Here there is a pile of cannon balls, and what appears to be iron ballast blocks in beautiful scenery and clear water.

The Team spent a dive on the site, looking at the cannon balls and analysing the site. The Cannon balls and ballast are in two piles which are consistent with these items being thrown off both sides of a ship at the same time. However this raises a few questions as the depth is around 8 meters which is too deep for grounding. If that was the case then why deposit them on the only shallow section of a bank which goes down to 36 meters as it is unlikely that these items were worthy of the effort to salvage them in the future. Therefore why are they there and not in deeper water??

Featured

The historic mountain El Morro in the background, a clear beacon for the sailors

Team member swims to the dropoff enjoying the clear water

Looking at one of the iron ballast blocks and a few cannon balls on the edge of one of the reef where there is a channel down the centre

Some of the iron ballast blocks can be seen with a white coral growth over them

Dr. Spooner looking at the cannon ball pile

A possible 6 pound iron cannon ball

The search starts for more clues

Conducting a visual "star pattern" survey to see if there were any more artefacts on the reef. No artefacts were seen in a 50 sqm radius from the two piles of cannon balls. Note the hollow depressions where cannon balls had been removed from the concretion reef

Some of the hollows in the reef, a haven for fish

A host of sea fans all waving in the current across the top of the reef

Dr. Spooner examining the iron ballast

Documenting the missing cannon balls which have left round hollows in the coral

The marine life was a pleasure to see as so many fish have been fished out of existence nearer the shore

Wesley enjoying the dive

ADMAT's maritime archaeological work on this wreck site was assisted by ADMAT-FRANCE a non profit organisation based in the Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

ADMAT-FRANCE is a sub division of the Anglo ~ Danish Maritime Archaeological Team

ADMAT is delighted to have an association with Muséum Nationald’Histoire Naturelle at Paris, départememt Préhistoire, UMR-CNRS 7194.