FathomOz

Double click picture

A larger and similar picture is at  http://fathomoz.wordpress.com

Walter A.Starck, Vic Ley, Ron Taylor, Phil Eather, Richard Weir, Wally Gibbins, Mal McLeod, Gai Girdlestone, John Harding

Wally Muller, Van Laman, Ben Cropp, Kathy Troutt, Lynn Roberts, John Michael Harding, Bob Grounds, Dean Cropp, Ron Taylor, Trevor Collins (with marlin), Valerie May Taylor, Henri Bource, Wally Gibbins-John Sumner-Terry Morrison,

The Late IRVIN ROCKMAN  CBE

We encountered wild Grey Reef sharks galore.  They even chewed on the diving platform.  It was unique action at the time.  Later we would realize that sharks elsewhere eventually settle down and adopt a different behavior.

At locations where no divers have been before you should expect territorial aggressive behavior.

Probably rare today and certainly not at dive resorts where sharks are virtually ‘trained’ and behave.

Film of those original encounters might be a surprise to many today.

Up top: Dr Don Ahern, JM Harding, Roy Bisson, Dr Colin Friendship, Liz Hen.

On the duckboard: John H Harding (with 16mm camera) , shark wrangler Dr Richard Ibara, Allan Murayama from Hawaii.

Valerie and Ron Taylor took this picture from their dinghy nearby.

Their 16mm film from the expedition featured (Taylor’s Innerspace) a search for the rare sea shell, a volute known to be found only here and worth thousands of dollars at the time.

However it was the shark action which proved more entertaining.

Shark wrangler and marine biologist, Richard Ibara used fish baits to attract sharks into the shallows.

In one scene we see where he grabs a live Grey Reef shark by the tail (when the shark had it’s mouth firmly secured to a fish) and hauled the shark onto a reef.

It remained there for a few moments, just long enough for this unusual film sequence to be recorded.  Kids seeing it in the cinemas.

Picture from “Australian Seafari” – a family film show in cinema’s which included The Chesterfield Reef Expedition.

The late Alby Ziebell, last owner-captain of Coralita

Hitchhiker was a temporary solution for Alby while a new boat, larger than Coralita was being built especially.  The outcome was not good.  The builder filed for bankruptcy and everything was lost.  A tragedy in many ways.

Alby was an excellent international charter boat skipper and diver.  His underwater photography in a short time equaled or surpassed the best.

Years of professional abalone diving in Tasmania gave him an edge in fine tuning and perfecting his business, with the help of wife Irene who ran the office.  A skilled diplomat for divers.

A plan to expand diving charter horizons to New Guinea waters was the beginning of the end…..

Coralita sank in Cairns Harbour just days before the first scheduled departure.  Nobody was injured.

August 11, 2010   Coralita was purchased as a wreck by Cocky Watkins of Cardwell for the price of one thousand dollars at auction, later temporarily renamed Alita then sold and renamed Bell Cay.

News item today indicates the vessel has come to grief in The Swain Reefs (250 km offshore) with over 20 people aboard.  All have been rescued after treading water for some time.

27 February 2011. Bell Cay is said (Ref. Alexander Muller, professional fisherman)  to have broken up and washed ashore in the Mackay area of the Queensland coast.

White blotches on plate coral are curious and alarming.   This picture is from the last roll of underwater film exposed by this late famous charter boat skipper and owner of Coralita.   It was discovered in his motor drive Nikon camera still in it’s marine housing.

An edited version of Coralita’s brochure (1986)

Coralita was launched in1969, began catering for divers and fishermen in 1970 and then exclusively for divers.  Before being sold to 2nd owner (Alby Ziebell) Wally Muller did adventurous charters for oil companies to destinations still high risk today.

Coralita ventured further up the Fly River in Papua New Guinea than was considered safe.  Tidal bores being the risk that had stranded previous boats.

Wally’s son, Roy Muller was bumped underwater by a saltwater crocodile in near zero visibility while placing electronic measuring equipment underwater in the Fly River.

Another charter took Coralita into pirate-infested waters of the Celebes.

New  owner Albie Ziebell was an experienced abalone diver who had worked southern Tasmanian waters and wanted a new change.

Coralita’s home port was moved from Yeppoon to Cairns at a time when that city was just beginning to attract international visitors.

All went well until 1991.  On the brink of a departure to begin diving charters in New Guinea, Coralita suffered an explosion in her engine room that sent the boat to the bottom of Cairns harbour.

It was far from an insurance job.

Although there were no immediate casualties the disappointment and stress on Alby was severe. He passed away a few years later; at his well-attended funeral most of his friends, apart from a handful of divers, were rod and reel fishermen.

Alby had once again excelled at a new profession and was doing well when tragedy struck while returning from a northern fishing safari.