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| The Corsair ditched just off shore from the Quoin Hill Fighter Strip at the northeast corner of Efaté, in WW2 |
Quinn was looking forward to seeing the World War 2 Muesum, and snorkelling the aircraft wreck. but the gate was locked! Kaupi managed to unlock the gate, and we drove off into the jungle.
Unfortunately the museum had been blown away by Cyclone Pam, and a new one
is planned.
A man on a bicycle
said he would take us to the submerged Corsair Fighter Plane
wreck, and we could snorkel over it.
A clamber into a tiny metal
boat, through a mangrove swamp, and out into the lagoon. The tide was still low, and the boat
kept running aground.
The view was amazing, Emoa Island straight ahead, locals fishing by wading in the shallows, their outrigger canoe nearby.
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| Emoa Island |
More islands to the left, Kakula is the closest, and Nguna and Pele behind it.
The breeze was brisk, and the tiny boat rocked on the waves. We got splashed a lot. The urchins laughed. What an adventure.
The wreak was about in just over 2m of water, and the wind made the waves choppy.
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| Cockpit |
I found myself being blown away from the wreck when I was on top of the water.
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| F4U Corsair wreck |
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| Left wing of Corsair |
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| Vertical stabiliser of the Corsair |
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| Horizontal stabiliser and elevators of Corsair |
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| Horizontal stabiliser and elevators of Corsair |
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| Tail of Corsair |
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| Coral growing on wing of Corsair |
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| Horizontal stabiliser and elevators of Corsair |
Visibility was not the
best under the water, but we all got to see and touch the wreak. A school of Anemone fish
were at the tail. Erik and Tighe
sat in the cockpit. The wind
picked up, the water got choppy and once we got cold, it was time to climb back into the small boat, and go back into the mangrove swamp.
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| Anemone fish on coral growing on wreck |
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| The Corsair ran out of fuel just shy of the landing strip on Efaté |
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| The wreck sits in shallow water, and is covered in algae. |
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| Engine Cowling of the Corsair |
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| The Corsair ditched just off shore from the Quoin Hill Fighter Strip at the northeast corner of Efaté, in WW2 |
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| Vertical stabiliser of the Corsair |
The pilot ran out of fuel, and had to ditch the plane in the sea. He parachuted to dry land.
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| Erik trying out the cockpit of Corsair |
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| View from cockpit |
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| Rudderless remains of the vertical stabiliser of the Corsair |
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| Anemone Fish on Coral - Wing of Corsair wreck |
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| Right Wing of Corsair |
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