USS Arizona – very rare and special wreck-dive

Royal Australian Navy clearance divers were afforded an opportunity to dive on the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbour during Exercise RIMPAC warm-up activities.

CAPTION: Royal Australian Navy sailor Able Seaman Benjamin Johnson grabs a selfie before diving on the USS Arizona Memorial site in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during RIMPAC 2018. Photo by Able Seaman Benjamin Johnson.

The stated purpose of the dive was team-bonding with US and Canadian Navy divers as well as the US Coast Guard divers – but also taking the rare opportunity to dive a very special wreck.

Australian clearance diver Able Seaman Benjamin Johnson said it was a surreal experience.

“It’s something that I’ll never forget”, he said.

 

 

The Australian clearance-diving contingent at RIMPAC is a mix of clearance divers from both east and west coasts of Australia, posted to Navy’s Mine Clearance Diving Squadron and Australian Clearance Diving Team Four.

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