We have a new 360 degree panoramic video from the starboard deck of the Mohawk. Check it out by clicking the image above. We are at the bleeding edge of underwater 360 video. Let us know what you think!
New 360 Video – Starboard Deck
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First 360 Video of USS Mohawk
MohawkWreck.com is excited to exclusively feature the first ever 360 degree panoramic underwater video of the USS Mohawk. See this amazing new immersive video here.
First 2013 Mohawk Trip
I made my first Mohawk dive of 2013 on Saturday March 9 aboard the Ultimate Getaway. We left the dock in Ft Myers Beach at about 11pm Friday night, reaching Charlie’s Reef where the Mohawk sits at about 3am Sat. Small Craft Advisories went up at 1am with 15-20 knot NE winds and 3-4 foot seas. Still, the 100ft Ultimate Getaway handled it well and we were ready to hit the water at sun up.
Air temps early Saturday morning were in the low 50′s and felt a bit colder in the stiff NE breeze. Water temps ranged from 65-68 F on the Mohawk. Visibility was 30-40 feet, which was better than I expected considering the weather conditions we had in the prior week.
The plan for the open-circuit divers was to make three dives. I would have shot for a single 3-4 hour dive on my rebreather in summer, but with colder water temps, I limited my first dive to 110 minutes, took a surface interval to warm up, then made a second dive of 60 minutes.
The marine life taking hold on the Mohawk is impressive. Tomate bait schools swarm in and outside the hull. Urchins, plants, anemones, sponges soft corals have completely encrusted the anchor chains. Blennies and arrow crabs can be seen everywhere across the deck. I saw one five foot shark near the prop cruising the bottom. In the engine room, a monster-sized goliath grouper still claims its tenancy since we spotted it last September.
I had a special project to tend to during my dives, so I wasn’t able to dive with my main HD video rig and flood lights. I was only able to shoot some ambient light stills and video with my vintage GoPro Hero. Below are some of those images I grabbed. I’ll update with some video soon.
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- Dive, Dive, Dive… to the Mohawk
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- Divers on Mohawk March 9, 2013
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- Big Goliath in engine room.
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- Rebreather diver in school of Tomates on Mohawk.
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- Diver peeks out hull cut-out near stern
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- Shark sighted near stern.
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- USS Mohawk March 9, 2013
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- Aft gun station.
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- Meter on electrical panel in engine room.
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- What’s left of the Mohawk lettering on the stern.
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- Single Propeller of Mohawk.
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- 87 fsw to the sand by the propeller.
MohawkWreck.com in Go Magazine
A MohawkWreck.com image was used in an article about SW Florida diving in the Nov 2012 issue of Go Magazine. Go Magazine is an in-flight magazine for AirTran that reaches over 2 million air travelers. You can check out AirTran GoMagazine’s web site and look in the upper right to read an online digital copy of the Nov 2012 issue. The article is on page 63. You can also go straight to the online version of the specific article here.
Mohawk at 83 days – Part 2
Here’s part two of the video shot on Sept 23, 2012. We start mid-ship starboard and work back to the stern. The word “Mohawk” is only barely visible on the stern now. Entering the engine room from the stern, we find a huge Goliath now owns the place. We end up in the radio room where we look out a port hole to watch schools of fish and another Goliath roaming the bow deck.
Mohawk at 83 Days – Part 1
Here is part one of compiled video shot while diving the USS Mohawk on Sept 23, 2012, which is 83 days since she was sunk as a veteran’s memorial reef 28 miles off Sanibel Island FL. Part one opens showing the stellar visibility looking down on the wreck from the surface. It then gives a tour of the bow highlighting a lengthy encounter with a sociable Goliath Grouper that has taken residence the bow of the wreck. A second bigger Goliath hangs out in the engine room…. which will be shown in part two.
TV Show on Mohawk now Online
A fun episode of ScubaNation about the USS Mohawk is now available to watch online. ScubaNation did a great job of covering the whole story of the Mohawk’s reefing: From preparation, transit to Charlie’s Reef, sinking, and the very first dives. Some great one-of-a-kind video in this show, delivered in a fun and enjoyable style. It’s a must see.
Mohawk After 83 Days
We ventured out to pay the Mohawk a visit on Sept 23, 2012. This was 83 days since she was placed down on Charlie’s Reef. Seas were less than 1 foot, sunny skies, light winds, and visibility was absolutely stellar at over 100 feet.
The wreck was bustling with both fish and plant life. We encountered a loggerhead turtle on the decent. Abundant schools of bait enveloped various parts of the super structure. At least two Goliath Grouper have taken residence with a very large one preferring to hang out below deck in the engine room.
We have a lot of video and images to compile and we will post them soon. In the mean time, the following two images compare the stern of the USS Mohawk from 4 hours after sinking to 83 days later. You can only barely make out the name through the shroud of encrusting marine organisms.
Comparison of stern at day 1 vs day 83.
Scuba Diving the Mohawk 12 Days After Sinking
I visited the Mohawk on July 14, twelve days after sinking. Seas were a good 3 – 4 feet, so I was glad we went out on the 100ft Ultimate Getaway.
I made one 3 hour scuba dive to 87 feet using my rebreather. I could have stayed another hour but didn’t want to hold all the open circuit up from departing for home. (Diving the rebreather rocks.)
Massive schools of bait fish (grunts) had swarmed the Mohawk inside and out, and I shot the first video of a Goliath Grouper taking residence on the Mohawk. The visibility was notably better on this trip vs sinking day. I spent a good deal of time inside the wreck this time out. The engine and engine room are huge and blow outs in the decking allow quite a bit of ambient light down into it. The first video shows the life outside and inside the wreck. The second video highlights the sights from down in the engine room.
A Peek Inside on Day One
The Mohawk was a turbid mess inside the day it sunk. Still, I spent a little time below deck in the aft and checked a few places out.