A diver with the flag of the Sevastopol Branch of the RGS underwater. Photo: Sergei Denisov / Sevastopol Branch of the RGS
On October 6, another stage of the international project of the Sevastopol Branch (SB) of the Russian Geographical Society «Diving Beyond the Horizon: A Course Toward Heritage» began 1.5 km from the shore, off New Athos. Explorers are studying an underwater object that was previously associated with the transport of the Russian Imperial Fleet «Syracuse».
The object is located at a depth of more than 40 m. The study began with the use of a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV). There was a live broadcast of what was happening underwater on board the carrier ship.
The device’s manipulator was operated by Viktor Dvukhshorstnov, Director of the Center for Marine Research and Technology of Sevastopol State University. The specialists from the SB RGS assessed the situation at the bottom and planned the diving operation.
«We were very lucky. We were fortunate. We reached the designated point right away, which was extremely difficult, because the object is located 1.5 km from the shore and at a depth of more than 40 m. We did a good job using the ROV, inspected the object, filmed it, and immediately assessed the situation at the bottom at the time, because the same visibility varies greatly from season to season, even from time of day,» commented Candidate of Historical Sciences Victor Lebedinsky, head of the Center for Historical and Archaeological Research of the Crimea and the Mediterranean, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RAS.
The diving team’s dives, inspection of the object, and video recording reinforced the researchers' doubts that the discovered transport was indeed the «Syracuse». Work continues on the site.
Now the team will have to study the historical archives and compare the information found with the results of underwater research. Based on the data obtained, the specialists will create a 3D model of the object. It will add to the interactive sub-map of the project, which already features 15 objects.