Historical Shipwrecks of The Dominican Republic and Haiti by Dr. Lubos Kordac

[Keri Nott]

· More than 10 years of gathering information
· Shipwrecks location and provenance
· Lists hundreds of shipwrecks
· 179 pages
· Dozens of photos, maps and drawings
· Personally signed by the author
· Perfect gift for historians, divers or tourists

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220528178514&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

"This unique book is a must for everybody who is interested not only in historical shipwrecks around Hispaniola Island (actually the Dominican Republic and Haiti), but also in pirate history."

Almost 400 shipwrecks are described in this book, many of them laden with unimaginable treasures and with exact locations, histories, photos, maps and drawings. This book does not only cover Spanish shipwrecks of the Colonial Era - though they form a major part of the content of the book - but also English, French, Dutch, Portuguese and historically documented lost pirate ships as well.

Dozens of maps with locations of the shipwrecks, more than 50 photos and many drawings give the reader a more detailed view. These sometimes long - forgotten shipwrecks still lie at the bottom of crystal clear waters around Hispaniola Island, which, for many decades, was the most important base of the Conquest of the New World.

Please check this out, its a truely amazing book! Let me know what you think!

 

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[Bobadilla]

Hi Keri,

Thanks a lot for your nice words about my book!
Bobadilla
(Lobo)

 

[1BootySeeker]

Hello there Dr. Kordac, I was referred by another member to look you up, regarding your expertise on the diving sites in the Dominican Republic. I will be in the D.R. in a few weeks and was wondering what historical shipwreck sites you might recommend that I can dive. It seems that every operator I've talked with, only want to go out to the artifical reefs and don't know of, or refuse, to acknowledge any other shipwreck sites. Can you advise how I might be able to reach some of the more historical sites or who best to contact for transportation to a site etc? Thank you for any assistance that you can relay.
Chuck

 

[Bobadilla]

Hi Chuck,

There are some diving spots with shipwrecks where you can go with local diving companies in the Dominican Republic. But all of them are modern date wrecks. To dive the old ones is generally strictly prohibited. Lot of them are in the territory of National Parks. If you go diving there, you can go (if you have your own diving equipment), there is unfortunately not too much control, but you are breaking the law. Most of good shipwreck sites are also in the lease territory of actually working salvage copanies and they can be pretty nasty if they find somebody diving there. It is the case of Samana, Rio San Juan and Montecristi on the north, all of them very rich in historical shipwrecks, Isla Saona and Isla Catalina or Barahona area in the south. If you want to dive on shipwrecks, go to Bayahibe (Casa Daniel or Gri Gri Divers) and you can dive on modern freighter in 40 meters of depth or if you go to Juan Dolio (Neptuno Divers) or Boca Chica, you can dive in Caleta on two or three small artificially scuttled small ships. There is also one small shipwreck, Zingara, in the bay os Sosua on the north as well, which is often visited by local diving schools.
I hope it helps.

Regards,
Lobo

 

[1BootySeeker]

Thank you Lobo, I had a feeling that maybe the historical shipwrecks were off limits since no other dive company would acknowledge them. Thank you for your clarification on what I kinda suspected. We are staying in Bayahibe so I guess we'll just find something worth exploring in that area. Thanks again for your reply and good luck with your books.
Chuck

 

[Au_Dreamers]

It is literally against the law to dive on a historic shipwreck in DR?

 

[Bobadilla]

If anybody wants to dive on any historic shipwreck in the waters of the Dominican Republic, he SHOULD first ask for the permission to ONPCS (National Agency for Underwater Patrimony of the Dominican Republic). If they give you permission, then they will call to the closest station of Marina de Guerra where is your pretended dive site and one of the marine soldiers must go with you to see that you do not take anything out. It is the procedure. Even foreign salvage companies that have legal lease contract with the Dominican Government cannot leave the port with their boats without a delegated representative of Marina de Guerra on board. It would be considered as a strong violation of the lease contract that could even resulted in its cancellation. If your shipwreck is in a lease area of one of these salvage companies, you must first approach to them and they should deal directly with ONPCS. If your shipwreck is in a National Park (and most of them are), you must have also permission of the National Parks from Santo Domingo Ministry of Environment (apart from Marina de Guerra/ONPCS). If you find a shipwreck during innocent tourist diving expedition, you are supposed to report it immediately to the closest station of Marina de Guerra and to ONPCS and do not dive on it again until you get permission.

Your question was about the Dominican law and how it should work, not about the reality. You can still find divers looking for historic shipwrecks but they are seen by local authorities as potential looters and the consequences could very hard if you are cought.

Regards,
Lobo

 

[Au_Dreamers]

Lobo,
"Your question was about the Dominican law and how it should work, not about the reality"

Yes, thank-you, that is exactly what I was asking!