Photo by Howard Ehrenberg

John Chatterton’s name first came into the public consciousness as one of the main subjects of Robert Kurson’s bestselling book Shadow Divers. Kurson’s book, although non-fiction, reads like a novel: Chatterton and his diving buddies discover an unknown World War II German submarine (later identified as U-869) off the coast of New Jersey, kicking off a seven-year quest to identify the wreck. The team’s research takes them far beyond the library, where they pore over old Nazi U-Boat records, looking for information about a submarine that­—according to official records—should not exist. Their search for the truth is marked by technical deep dives, unfathomable risks, and several deaths.

Read more here at California Diver Magazine: http://californiadiver.com/john-chattertonshadow-diver/

San Diego Diver and PADI Divemaster Michael Harlow

Michael Harlow is an experienced San Diego diver and PADI Divemaster who recently contacted me after returning from a diving vacation with a remarkable discovery he wanted to share with the diving world. So remarkable, in fact, that he has set up a fundraising effort on Kickstarter.com to finance a return trip to the WWII sunken wreck where he discovered a hidden compartment filled with unusual crystals that sparkled and changed color in his underwater light. He wants to assemble a professional dive team to go back to retrieve some samples for analysis.

I caught up with him the other day to ask him a few more questions about his discovery.

http://www.examiner.com/scuba-diving-in-san-diego/san-diego-diver-raising-funds-for-far-away-crystal-wreck-dive

My interview with John Chatterton of the book ‘Shadow Divers‘ and the cable TV series ‘Deep Sea Dectectives’ will appear in the Jan/Feb. issue of California Diver Magazine, see links below for more  information:

Feature article: http://californiadiver.com/holiday-greetings/

Subscriptions: http://californiadiver.com/subscribe/

Note: the URL for Sevengill Shark Sightings website, given under Bio, at the end of the article, should have read: http://sevengillsharksightings.org [not: sightings.org]

 Photo: Red Gorgonian and Yellow Sponge Grow Alongside White Metridia on the Yukon

Date: 11-19-11

Location: Yukon, Wreck Alley

Time: 11:53 am

Surface Conditions: 3-5 ft swells, but far apart

Viz: not bad: 25-30 ft

Surge: slight Mix: 30%

Buddy: Peter McGuinness

Max Depth: 95 ft.

Critters seen (by me): Strawberry Anemones, lots of White Metridia, both inside and out of the Yukon, Blacksmith fish, Senoritas, Giant Spined Sea Stars…….

Remarks:

At first, we were concerned because we heard from another boat, on the way out from Mission Bay channel, that they had encountered 5-6 ft high swells and had to turn back at Pt Loma, so we decided to divert to the Yukon in Wreck Alley, and didn’t regret it, as vis was surprisingly good. My only regret was that, because I was using a borrowed 100 cu. ft. tank and not my usual 120, I turned back a bit early and Peter saw a seal harassing a Mola Mola near the smoke stacks……..never fails, right?–lol! Otherwise, it was an excellent dive, considering conditions elsewhere.