Igara wreck

History
Italy
Fate	Sunk 12 March 1973
Notes	Bow section only
General characteristics
Tonnage	72741
Length	297.2m
Beam	40.8m
Draught	22.3m
Capacity	127718 Tons Iron Ore

TheIgarais awreckoff the East Coast ofMalaysiathat sank on 12 March 1973.[1]At the time of her sinking, theIgarawas the largest ever singlemarine insuranceloss in maritime history. Valued at over US$25 million, she was loaded with 127,718 tonnes ofBrazilianIron Ore.TheIgarawas an Italianore/oil steamshipof 136,400 tonnesdeadweight(DWT). It was on voyage fromVitoriatoMuroranwhen after passing through theSunda Strait,she struck an uncharted rock in theSouth China Seaabout 190 miles (310 km) fromHorsburgh Lighthouse,offMendarik Island,on 11 March 1973. However, she did not sink immediately but continued her voyage until her bow settled submerged and resting on the sea bottom in approx 40 metres of water about 70 miles (110 km) fromSingapore.She settled with her entiresternsection sticking out of the water. The following day 27 of the 38-man crew abandoned ship, being picked up in theirlifeboatsby passing vessels. The master and 10 crew stayed on board until 19 March, when she began to break across hold no. 1.Salvorsusedexplosivesto cut through the ship at hold no. 1, and the entire rear section of the ship was towed toJapan,where a new forward section was attached and she was renamed the Eraclide.[2]

Subsequent salvage

ICRL (International Cargo Recoveries Limited), a BVI-based salvage management company, recognized the value of remaining iron ore cargo, contacted the insurers and acquired the legal rights to the ore and the salvage rights to the hull. In 2005–06 ICRL contracted Deep Water Recoveries (S) Pte Ltd ( “DWR” ) to recover the ore. DWR recovered all the ore accessible to big grabs (60,000 mt), and the operation grossed US$2.5 million.[3]

There are also other ships that have been taking pieces of metal from the ship wreck.

Recreational dive site

Diver on the wreck of the Igara.

The ship now lies in around 40 m of water rising to 16 m at the top of the wreck. Despite only half the wreck remaining, this is a hugewreckwith vast open cargo holds. The site is prone to very strong currents and occasional bad visibility. It is commonly frequented by Singapore-based liveaboards which stop for a dive or two on the way back to Singapore after a weekend diving in the South China Sea.

The wreck was nicknamed the 'turtlewreck' by divers due to a resident turtle although more recent reports suggest the turtle is no longer present. Three residentnurse sharksare sometimes spotted in the storage rooms in thestern.As of 2010, divers reported seeing a large nurse shark inside the rope room at thebowon nearly every dive. The wreck is overgrown withsoft corals,spongesandhydroids.Diversfrequently see schools ofbarracudas,snappers,fusiliers,angelfish,groupers,andbatfish.[4]Divers have also reported seeing a large and aggressive grouper.[5]

Sources

• Igara entry on Rec N Tec wreck database
• DeepWrecks.sg wreck page

External links

• Photo Gallery and diagram of wreck
• Photos of the wreck