Henry Leith

(Diver Level: Intermediate)

A spectacular night dive location due to its sheltered position inside Wongat Island, and several hundred metres from The Bomber.

Originally an iron sailing vessel before being converted for action during World War I and again in World War II, the Henry Leith was last used as the flagship vessel for Pimpco Shipping – operating a coastal freight service along the coast of PNG. It once had the distinction of being the oldest commercial vessel still in use in the Pacific Waters; and even when it was sunk, the iron hull had many more years of serviceable life.

The 19.8 Metre ship is now jam-packed with soft corals, sea fans and hydroids. At night the stark reds, pinks and oranges silhouette vividly against the pitch blackness of the night sea. The hold also contains the remains of a rusting dodge truck and is home to some very large mangrove jacks.

There are several small patches of the stinging yellow-brown milleprids, but these are greatly outnumbered by the delicately branched Stylasterid called the Elegant Hydrocoralline. In the sheltered confines of the wreck its brilliant pink colouration contrasts beautifully with the deep reds of the bryozoa (moss animals).

Many species of crinoid can also be seen clinging to the rails and hatches of the wreck. At night their long feathery tentacles sway back and forth in the gentle current seeking to catch passing plankton.