Sanko Harvest

Sanko Harvest was traveling from Tampa, Florida via the Panama Canal to Esperance when it hit the reef at 34°7.4′S 122°5.1′E, near Hood Island within the Recherche Archipelago, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south south east of Esperance.[4]

Initially, salvage plans were put in place, however the ship started to break up and broke into three pieces and sank on the night of 17 and 18 February. During the break up, all of the cargo and fuel were released into the sea and most of the oil washed onto the beaches of nearby Cape Le Grand National Park. Seals and other marine life were oiled by the slick.[5] Two-hundred drums of chemical dispersant was used in the clean-up operation.

The subsequent investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the fault to be human error by the master of the ship.

The wreck rests in 40 metres of water, with the highest points accessible 13 metres from the surface. It is considered an advanced dive, containing enclosed spaces and potential hazards such as sharp metal debris. The wreck has had a 500 metre radius no-take fishing exclusion zone around it since the 1990s, which, along with its remoteness, has protected its habitat value. Fishes living on and around the wreck include: Western blue groper, Queen snapper, Australasian snapper, harlequin fish, Port Jackson sharks and the Western blue devil. Kelp, macroalgae, sponges, soft and stony corals, sea tulips and sea stars all live on the wreck. Divers are sometimes visited by seals, dolphins and the occasional humpback whale. [3]