The unit from Pearl Harbor will become a new attraction for divers!

The barge YO-44 “Kodiak Queen”, a vessel once owned by the US Navy and stationed in the famous Pearl Harbor, will become a new diving attraction for tourists visiting the Virgin Islands. Sponsoring the entire project is YoKo BVI Art Reef, which is a collaboration between Sir Richard Branson and other BVI shareholders.

The sinking of the barge was scheduled for today – Monday 10 April 2017 – and could happen at any time. The organisers are just waiting for favourable conditions to finalise the whole operation.

-- Advertisement --

“The Kodiak Queen is one of five vessels stationed at Pearl Harbor that survived the legendary Japanese air attack. Now it is to get a new face as the latest addition to the artificial reef. In this way, the barge is expected to boost both underwater life and dive tourism in the region.

The whole story began in 2012. It was then that the barge YO-44 “Kodiak Queen” was found by historian and ex-marine of the US Navy – Mike Cochran. It had lain rusting along with other vessels in a scrap yard, where it awaited final annihilation. Fortunately, an initiative to save the barge found fertile ground.

Owen Buggy found out about the whole situation and suggested to his friend to turn it into an artificial reef and thus save it from the sad end that awaited the scrap yard. Fortunately, this friend turned out to be Richard Branson, for whom diving and the underwater world are no strangers, and the idea of creating an artificial reef seemed tempting enough to invest in this project.

By the way, the whole project could not have been another artificial reef. For a man as unconventional as Branson, that would have been too little too late. That is why the fuel barge YO-44, apart from a new name – YoKo B.V.I. Art Reef – also got a sculpture of a 25-metre-long kraken wrapped around its hull. It is to be an additional attraction and distinguish this one wreck from all others.

The sculpture is also set to become a new home for corals and other inhabitants of the surrounding waters who find its surface tempting enough to become their new home. The creators are also confident that the wreck will become a sanctuary for species that have been thinning in recent years. These include the granica itajara (a popular goliath grouper), which is a predator and natural enemy of the winged goby that wreaks havoc on aquatic ecosystems in the Caribbean.

As the final resting place of the “Kodiak Queen”, the southern coast of Virgin Gorda Island was chosen. Near Branson’s private Necker Island estate. Diving at this location will be carried out by local dive boat owners, and the price is expected to be around $100. No less, anyone who comes here with their own boat will be able to dive for free. The money raised from diving on the YO-44 wreck will be used for environmental protection and the development of education among local youth.

[blockquote style=”2″]”The Virgin Islands are an archipelago of small islands surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. The whole thing is amazing, full of life, yet many local people, never had the opportunity to interact with this beautiful underwater world among other reasons because they never had the chance to learn to swim. We want to change that.” – Richard Bramson said in an interview with Bloomberg magazine[/blockquote].

Bramson is to take part in the first dive on the new artificial reef, which has been scheduled for April 12. About a month after the sinking, the wreck of the “Kodiak Queen” is to be available for tourists. All due to the safety of visitors.

[blockquote style=”2″]”One of the reasons I got involved in this project is my belief that by doing so, local people will be inspired to learn to swim, snoorkl and dive. My greatest hope is that by doing so, they will fall in love with what awaits them underwater, and in turn protect and work together to preserve this beautiful world.” – concluded Sir Branson[/blockquote].

Source: divethebviartreef.com