The Airplane Wreck is one of Moalboal's attractions; diving on a complete and intact airplane wreck.

Name Dive Site:	Airplane Wreck
Depth:	18-20m (59-65ft)
Inserted/Added by:	savedra
Rated:	Rated 5.0, 1 votes
Specifications:

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Here our team organized the sinking of an airplane in the coastal waters of Moalboal, Cebu. LancAir, an American based plane manufacturer in Mactan, donated two-seat airplane as an artificial reef. The Savedra Team hired a truck to move the plane from the manufacturer to Moalboal. In order to put the plane on the truck, the wings had to be dismantled. Still, the truck looked rather small under the weight of the plane and it drawed a lot of attention in Cebu City, sometimes stopping the traffic. After the first kilometer the truck encountered the first bridge and ... got stuck. A handsaw had to be organized quite fast to cut a piece from the back wing. After a long journey the plane arrived in Moalboal and was deposited in the Reef Club.

Divers had already scouted for a nice, sandy spot on the reef floor in a depth of 20 meters, just in front of another dramatic drop off. For the wings and hull were completely empty, without any engines, weight had to be added to sink the plane. The wings were partially filled with cement and were pulled one by one by the Savedra dive boat to the final destination. The hull was filled with old scuba diving tanks, giving the fish a lot of holes and caverns to hide. After all pieces were lying in the sand, divers attached big lifting backs to the various pieces and assembled the plane under water.

Finally a buoy was attached to the site, to avoid damage by anchors by visiting dive boats. Other establishments, like SeaQuest Dive Center, Coral Reef Club Resort, PADI South East Asia, as well as the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Commission on Sport Scuba Diving (PCSSD) joint their efforts to implement this environmental friendly project. The plane, as an artificial reef, attracts now a multitude of corals and fishes. The stable superstructure of the plane resembles the same characteristics as a real coral reef. Inside the plane caverns and tunnels create protected areas, thus providing shelter for invertebrates and a multitude of marine organism. Divers can enjoy the beautiful sight and the thrill of a wreck dive while observing the creation of a new reef from a safe distance.

The plane was soon covered with plenty small corals. Our divemasters report already the presence of a huge turtle inside the cockpit, claiming the pilots seat.

Take a look at all the pictures!