Having a whale of a time

 

Minke whales are just one of the amazing sights that Royal Navy member, Chief Martin Smith may see while in Australia.

Chief Smith inspecting an underwater wreck during one of his many dive expeditions.

Diving with Minke whales, Great White sharks and J-Class submarines are for Chief Martin Smith from the Royal Navy, experiences that are all part of the job.

In Australia for Exercise Long Look as the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Diving Officer, the exercise will give him the chance to see what is below the surface of the southern seas.

For the duration of Long Look, Smith will be stationed at RAAF Base Williams outside Melbourne, but hopes to see more of Australia while he is here, as well as get in the water as much as possible.

He has already dived on a J Class submarine off the coast of Queenscliff.
The J boats were given to the RAN by the RN after World War I to replace AE1 and AE2, both lost during the war.

Scuttled in the 1920s, the J Class submarines were rediscovered by divers in 1982. Once the submarines were decommissioned they were sunk, creating a popular dive site with the sports divers visiting Melbourne.

Known as the 26m, 27m and 90 foot subs, the wreck Smith visited lies with its bow pointing out to sea. During its scuttling the bow section broke off, exposing the forward torpedoes tubes and bow modifications. The 26m submarine now hosts a variety of plant and animal life.

In the past 23 years Smith has completed more than 4000 dives and taken part in a number of major expeditions around the world, most recently the Bounty Bay expedition to the Pitcairn Islands.

Pitcairn, the refuge of the Bounty mutineers, is 3000 miles from the nearest continent, about midway between Australia and South America, one of the remotest locations on earth.

Pitcairn Island is of volcanic origin and is characterized by steep basaltic cliffs that rise abruptly from the sea. It has been said that it is easier to get someone back from the frozen wastes of the Arctic than to evacuate Pitcairn in an emergency.

Smith has an expedition to South Australia planned with other members of the Royal Navy to dive with the Great White sharks, along with Rodney Fox, a specialist crewmember on the movie Jaws.

“It’s a thrill that only other divers would understand,” he said.

“It has been a dream and a lifetime goal.”

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