TASU II
The Tasu II is a decommissioned long line fishing vessel purposefully sunk on the sandy bottom at the ‘Seven Sisters’ dive site in the late 1990’s. She is about 30m/100′ from bow to stern lying upright on her keel in about 28m/90′ of water next to the coral pinnacles that make up the Seven Sisters.
Having been down for so many years, a good growth of soft corals covers the wreck. Very rarely swept by strong currents, the Tasu II is an ideal site for getting in some good bottom time on a wreck. It is not uncommon to find a school of chevron barracuda circling above the wreck and groupers hiding out inside the superstructure. With a keen eye, lucky divers can spot pipefish wriggling their way across the deck and up the sides of the ship.
After exploring the wreck a gentle fin back to the reef finds divers in a maze of seven towering pinnacles. Zebra Sharks can frequently be found resting on the sand just out from the pinnacles and for divers that want a rest, settle down in the sand between the pinnacles and watch as a cloud of butterfly fish move in and give you a ‘clean’.
RUSI’S PINNACLE
Without doubt, Rusi’s Pinnacle is the favourite dive site of all the staff. Lying upright on the seabed in a depth of 32m/110′ lies the largest of the wrecks in Beqa Lagoon. Measuring about 40m/140′ in length and made of two decks, this old fishing vessel is home to a diversity of life that is quite exceptional.
Scuttled in 2000, there is already an incredible coverage of soft corals smothered in brittle sea stars. The top deck railing is home to a giant frogfish; with it’s intricate camouflage it can be quite a challenge to spot in amongst all the encrusting sponges
100ft away stands a solitary pinnacle that soars upwards to within 5m/15′ of the surface. Encrusted with a kaleidoscope of colour, this pinnacle is home to stonefish, lionfish, leaf scorpionfish and moray eels. The top of the pinnacle is carpeted with five different species of anemone fish with their different host anemones. What better way to do a safety stop than by watching these plucky little characters flitting back and forth challenging all who venture that little bit too close.
