27. The Manado Wreck

Nobody is quite sure and no records exist anymore about this once proud merchandiser. Some say it is German, others say it is Dutch. We like to stick with that last opinion.
It is for sure that she sunk in WW II and that there is 60 metres of spectacular dive adventure!. The wreck lies on a slope, with the bow up, starting at 22 meters and the intact twin propelors stop at excactly 40 metres, with high tide.
After so many years, her superstructure can not be trusted anymore, so no penetrations. But don't get discouraged, there is enough to see without entering!
Nudibrances, leaf fishes, sometimes a resting white tip shark, batfish, groupers, sweetlips, black coral, soft corals, it's all there.
The visibility is not always too good. A river flows out close by and can bring sediments in. Less than 10 metres visibilty is rare.
One time diving the wreck, 8 huge manta rays circled it as if to say, "he guys, lost something?"
Because of the depth, it is not a beginners dive. Also because of the depth, most divers run out of no deco time before they run out of air. We do not allow deco dives, so after the wreck we slowly swim out to shallower parts on the reefs nearby and finish our dive there.

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