Several years ago a very good dive friend of mine Tom Emery and his wife invited me and my wife to join them aboard their sail boat in Panama for two weeks. I had always wanted to visit Panama and go thru the Panama Canal so this was not only a no brainer but a good opportunity to do so.

Our adventure began when I left Louisiana after the diving season and from the Gulf coast flew to Los Angles met my wife there and boarded our plane. Panama here we come six hrs later we hit the runway and so now we were ready to see our friends and explore Panama and then go dive the Pearl Islands on the Pacific Ocean side. I dont know about most people but this was just the kind of adventure I had been looking for and one not to forget.

Thanks to Capt.Tom and his wife Carol for what we able to discover in our travels was this old and I do mean old yea like old 1885 Submarine that had been used back in the day for submarine pearl shell collecting once on the bottom the bottom of the submarine would open up and the crew would reach down to collect and harvest several tons of pearl shells it was revolutionary in the day and it was just sitting there abandoned just off the beach in the water on this desserted island.

Somebody pinch me man this is good stuff here. How cool was this I thought to myself. This had to be every bit as cool and as exciting as diving on and finding those WW I I Japanese one man tanks that were sitting on the deck of the San Francisco Maru in 177' of water in Truk Lagoon, yea this is near stuff alright. Ok back to the story line here well I just dont get to see this kind of stuff very often so its exciting to me. What a neat discovery and it was just sitting there like it was awaiting to be found and no one was on the island anywhere.

This piece of diving history was revolutionary for its time because back in the day only pearl shell helmet divers collected pearl shells one dive at a time. This historical piece of submarine and pearl diving history can still be seen and enjoyed right now today in Panama out in the Pearl Islands. The complete story of its fate in history its Captain and its crew can also be learned and relived by easily punching up on your computer "The secret of the Pearl Islands, Panama". I think you will be glad you did. Its worth reading. I love being a diver.