Posted by Jon on August 15, 2002 at 19:34:12:
In Reply to: Re: Plunder and Pillage posted by Max Bottomtime on August 15, 2002 at 19:15:12:
I don't think the argument about preserving maratime history holds much water (pardon the pun).
Preserving the turret of the Monitor (a truly unique artifact) is one thing but seeing an assortment of non-descript brass on display at the Scuba Show is quite another. It is the equivalent of seeing a black sea bass stuffed and mounted on the wall. I guess a diver could make a case that he or she was preserving the sea bass, too ;-)
The whole point is to see these items on the wreck, picturesque or not, where they add to the overall impression of the dive and the interest of the wreck. Once they're gone, they're gone -- so be it. Removing the wreck piecemeal simply hastens the process.
Jon