Abandoned mine

[alex_markov]

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[old man mavic]

@alex_markov hi Alex judging by the colours of the rocks and what appears to be rust on the surface would i be right in thinking that it was an iron ore mine

 

[rehkram]

Open cast copper mine I would guess, having once dived a flooded copper mine on Great Barrier Island, NZ a long while back. Diving in copper sulphate solution was an experience to be sure. Didn't kill me, maybe I got slightly pressure-treated.

 

[alex_markov]

@alex_markov hi Alex judging by the colours of the rocks and what appears to be rust on the surface would i be right in thinking that it was an iron ore mine

Copper mine as far as I know - but abandoned in 50's

 

[blackomega]

love the color of the water

 

[alex_markov]

love the color of the water

Me too, but don't go in it

 

[alex_markov]

Open cast copper mine I would guess, having once dived a flooded copper mine on Great Barrier Island, NZ a long while back. Diving in copper sulphate solution was an experience to be sure. Didn't kill me, maybe I got slightly pressure-treated.

Interesting, I'll not go in by myself

 

[rehkram]

I had a team of experienced divers up top including a nominated rescue diver fully suited up. It was a private dive trip with friends. Boat was anchored offshore, we went ashore in a dinghy. We dropped a shot line down the vertical shaft and tied it off up top. I volunteered to be the guinea pig and lowered myself down the shot line to the bottom at about 10 meters. I had no fins on so as not to stir up silt.

At the bottom there was too much fallen debris to proceed out horizontally, the mine runs out under the sea floor. Visibility was great, it was midday so the sun was overhead, I remember the surreal blue-green light vividly.

I poked around for a while, considered tying the shot line to some of the junk so we could haul it out of there but decided that would turn it into a multi day project and we had other fish to fry. Went back up the shot line, total dive time was around 20 minutes.

Just another lovely summer day diving around New Zealand's offshore islands. I was a very active diver at the time, certified as a PADI divemaster circa 1988