Tjendrawasih Barge Wreck

Tjendrawasih Barge Wreck is a capsized dredging barge lying off Gorontalo on the northern arm of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The barge was tethered for an excavation job when rain and heavy waves sank it on the night of 26 December 1993. It came to rest upside down, and its underside is only sparsely encrusted.

The wreck is about 32 metres long and 10 metres wide. Its highest point is about 4 metres below the surface and its base reaches about 26 metres. The crane tower extends a further 16 metres beyond the barge. The usual route starts at the shallowest point and follows the lower edge of the hull into the gloom beneath it. No penetration is involved, but much of the dive is spent beneath the overhanging wreck. Metal drums hang from its sides and lie scattered down the slope.

Fish life on the wreck is rich, and about 140 fish species have been recorded here. Lionfish cruise the underside of the hull, and a pair of pipefish has been seen sheltering inside the rusted cavity of one of the pylons.