The S.S.Tasmania hit a rock off Table Cape, Mahia Peninsula in 1897. Photo: Auckland Libraries
There are concerns divers are plundering one of New Zealand's famous shipwrecks. Are they treasure-hunting pirates, or just amateur souvenir-seekers?
Concerns have been raised over the summer that the historic contents of a shipwreck off the Mahia Peninsula are being plundered by divers.
The site where the alleged theft is happening is that of the S.S. Tasmania, a grand passenger steamer that went down in a fierce storm in 1897 after hitting rocks off Table Cape.
On board was a suitcase full of jewels, carried by a distant relative of the famous Rothschild family. It was that treasure that prompted diving pioneer Kelly Tarlton to buy the wreck, and in the 1970s he managed to recover about 250 rings and other items encrusted with rubies, opals, sapphires and diamonds.
But it was only a fraction of the loot, and the rest - more than half of what went down - is still there.
That may well be the allure of diving the wreck but the experts all agree that what's left will remain lost. Storms, shifting currents and sludge from land clearances have literally muddied the waters.
Now the site of the wreck is targeted by fishers going after the prize species that gather there, but some divers are believed to be after crockery and other bits of history they can lay their hands on.
One expert however doubts there's any looting going on.
Garth MacIntyre owns the property closest to the wreck at Mahia. He's been diving and exploring shipwrecks for 50 years, and counts Kelly Tarlton among his mentors.
The ship site is "dived regularly by numerous recreational divers, and probably predominately spear fishermen who free dive over the wreck," he says.
"The wreck in its own right acts like an artificial reef and draws in a lot of fish life. It's a spectacular dive when the conditions allow you to dive it. It's a great location."
But he says if you're keen enough to explore an old wreck for its potential treasure, you're probably going to be spending more money setting up your operation than you'll gain from any plunder.
"It's a passion - you're not going to get rich out of it," he says.
For him, it's more about the history and the stories of those who were on board.
"We don't have an old history here, so we know most things about the wrecks that have gone down, in terms of their design and probably what they're carrying," he says.
"But it's still a real buzz and a real thrill to be able to try and find these wrecks and document them - you know, video record them. There's so much great technology out there now to relay that to the general public, and that's what keeps driving me and this small group of people who are endeavouring to find these deep water wrecks or revisiting the shallow water wrecks."
Today on The Detail, MacIntyre also talks about the laws governing diving around shipwrecks, and who has salvage rights.
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