Located off the islands of
Grande and Chiquita at the eastern entrance of Subic Bay in 6 to 18
meters of water this is a excellent dive site for everyone. Surface
conditions can be a little rough at times but the diving is relatively
calm with a occasional mild current. The wrecks have been underwater
for over 100 years and nature has not left that much left. The majority
of the San Quinten has collapsed upon it’s self. The boilers do however
still stand high above the surrounding area and above the wreck. Coral
and sponges have a firm footing on the wreck, which sits on a patch of
sand. The hull and deck have created many holes and crevices, which are
the home of fish, ells and lobsters. This is also a great site for
night dives. Due south of the boilers across about 10 meters of sand
you will find the keel of one of the merchant ships. To the north of
the wreck is a shallow reef about 5 to 10 meters deep. Alive with many
types of fish, corals and sponges, this reef has a special treat not
seen on any other site wreck within Subic. In 1999 the University of
the Philippines in secret had a special project that introduced giant
clams to Subic bay. One of these sites is this reef.
THE BATTLE
OF CAVITE
SPANISH
OFFICIAL REPORT
DEPARTURE FOR SUBIC.
On the 25th of April,(1898) at 11
p.m., says Señor Montojo, I left
the bay of Manila for Subic with a squadron composed of the cruisers Reina Cristina, Don Juan de Austria, Isla de
Cuba, Isla de Luzon, dispatch
boat Marques
del Duero, and the wooden cruiser Castilla.
This last could merely be considered as a floating battery incapable of
maneuvering, on account of the bad condition of her hull. The following
morning, being at Subic, I had a
conference
with Captain Del Rio, who, though he did not relieve my anxiety
respecting the
completion of the defensive works, assured me that they would soon be
finished.
In the meanwhile the cruiser Castilla,
even on this short cruise, was making much water through the bearings
of the
propeller and the opening astern. They worked day and night to stop
these leaks
with cement, finally making the vessel nearly water-tight, but
absolutely
impossible to use her engines.
One the morning of the 27th I sailed with the vessels to cover the
entrance to
the port
of Subic. The Castilla was taken to the northeast point of the island of Grande
to defend the western entrance, since the eastern entrance had already
been
closed with the hulls of the San Quintin
and two old merchant vessels which were sunk there.
With much disgust, I found that the guns which should have been mounted
on that
island were delayed a month and a half. This surprised me, as the shore
batteries
that the navy had installed (with very little difficulty) at the
entrance of
the bay of Manila, under the intelligent direction of colonel of naval
artillery, Señor Garces, and Lieutenant Beneavente, were ready
to fight
twenty-four days after the commencement of the work.
I was also no less disgusted that they confided in the efficacy of the
few
torpedoes which they had found feasible to put there.
The entrance was not defended by torpedoes nor by the batteries of the
island,
so that the squadron would have had to bear the attack of the Americans
with
its own resources, in 40 meters of water and with little security. Our
vessels
could not only be destroyed, but they could not save their crews. I
still held
a hope that the Americans would not go to Subic, and give us time for
more
preparations, but the following day I received from the Spanish consul
at Hong
Kong a telegram which said :A
enemy’s
squadron sailed at 2 p. m. from the bay of Mira and according to
reliable
accounts they sailed for Subic to destroy our squadron, and then will
go to
Manila
This telegram demonstrated that the enemy knew where they could find my
squadron and that the port of Subic had no defenses.
The same day, the 28th of April, I convened a council of the captains,
and all,
with the exception of Del Rio, chief of
the new
arsenal, thought that the situation was insupportable and that we
should go to
the bay
of Manila in
order to accept there the
battle under less unfavorable conditions.
|