Maluku Divers Resort
Site Report: Maluku Divers, Ambon – Aquila, ex-Duke of Sparta
The fact is that 99.9% of the divers who make the trek to Ambon, Indonesia come for the muck diving. That in itself is quite valid as exploring the waters of Ambon Bay with Maluku Divers will provide myriad rare and exotic subjects for the most jaded muck photog. What I found and suggest as not an alternative, but an addition to the muck diving is a dive or two to Ambon’s amazing shipwreck, the Aquila, ex-Duke of Sparta.
The wreck in Ambon Harbor has an interesting history; the vessel was built in 1940 as the Duke of Sparta by William Gray & Co, West Hartlepool, England for the Greek shipping magnate, Stavros George Livanos. Surviving WWII, the vessel was sold in 1951 to the Grimaldi Brothers as part of the post-war expansion of their various shipping concerns and re-named Aquila. The Aquila spent the next seven years carrying miscellaneous freight and cargo to ports throughout Europe and the Far East. In late April 1958, the Aquila was anchored off Ambon City in ballast, awaiting cargo. At this point the Aquila became a pawn in international politics. In an attempt to support right-wing rebels and destabilize the leftist leanings of Indonesia’s President Sukarno, the CIA mounted airborne attacks on shipping in Indonesian ports in the hopes of destabilizing the government. The Aquila along with two other vessels was bombed by a CIA aircraft with the Aquila and the SS Flying Lark eventually sinking. That little foray into international diplomacy (or perhaps a lack of diplomacy) provided divers visiting Ambon today with an amazing diving opportunity. Despite the fact that she was the Aquila when she sunk, the wreck is today known by her launch name - Duke of Sparta.
The wreck is very easy to locate as it is marked by a large rust-covered buoy fastened to its stern. The ship lays on a slope with her stern deck in about 40 feet of water and the jack staff of her bow right at 100 feet. The ship is very intact with nearly all parts of the structure blanketed in life. Of particular interest to photographers is the ship’s mast which is densely covered on both hard and soft coral and more invertebrates than you can imagine. The best thing about diving the Duke of Sparta is that you don’t need to hit the deeper areas of the wreck since the stern area, aft deck house and equipment provides myriad photo subjects at minimal depths. Cruising the stern area we found several reef octopus that had claimed dens in the scuppers and under the aft cargo winches along with scorpion fish, frog fish, several morays, a rainbow selection of reef fish and the ubiquitous lion fish (several species share the aft house).
Because its location is in the harbor the better visibility would probably be found on an incoming tide. But even on one of our visits when we dived it at the end of a low tide we still had 25-35 feet of visibility.
In spite of Ambon’s claim to fame as a muck diving paradise, even a die-hard mucker will find plenty get his attention on a dive to Ambon’s wreck the Duke of Sparta.
Patrick Smith
02/2014
