A Wreck That Wrecked to Live Some More Part #2 – Wreck Above
- Karishma Puri and Chetana B P
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 15
The Vaavu shipwreck has kept a part of itself above water. This exposed chunk tells the story of its history – at first seemingly untouched by the sea, it revealed the ship’s original form. Upon closer inspection, dying corals clinging to planks of wood hint at a time when it was fully submerged.
From images of this shipwreck available online, it appears that a section of its bow and mast was once above sea level. Now that the ship has flipped over, the base of the hull protrudes above the water, resembling a large platform. The extent of the structure exposed to air is noteworthy not just to us but to all kinds of travellers out at sea.
We travelled for a couple of hours by speedboat to get to the shipwreck. A welcome party of noddies and black-naped terns perched on the wreck, telling us that we had arrived at our destination. At first, it was surprising to find birds looking rather at home, seemingly in the middle of nowhere in the Indian Ocean. Then it struck us: the boundaries we cling to – land and sea, above and below – are human constructs, inventions that are meant to make sense of the world around us. A being like this shipwreck dissolves these boundaries- it exists in all realms at once.
Noddies and terns are pelagic birds. They spend most of their life out at sea, thriving almost entirely on a diet of seafood. Their time on land is also important. It is where they nest, in large colonies, in the company of tens, hundreds and sometimes even thousands of other birds. Life at sea on the other hand is relatively solitary. So when these birds converge on this upturned piece of wreckage in the middle of the ocean, it becomes more than a resting spot – it becomes a fleeting moment of community. The noddies hunt at the surface, while terns go a little deeper. This difference in itself allows them to be companions in the middle of the sea, instead of competitors pushing the other away.
The noddy has a chocolatey brown plumage with a soft dusting of greyish white on its crown. Its name likely comes from the nodding and bowing behaviour seen during courtship displays. A fascinating group of birds that hunt fish, squids and other invertebrates just below the water’s surface – and occasionally snack on ripe Pandanus fruits, or screwpine, when ashore.
Black-naped terns have a distinct black band around the nape of their neck and a pair of boomerang-shaped wings – distinct even in flight. Built for swift dives, they fish by plunging into the sea. Though solitary hunters in the open ocean, they gather in flocks when fishing closer to shore. For ocean explorers, a circling group of terns often signals a school of fish below, possibly over a coral reef.
What drew these birds to the exposed hull of the shipwreck? Was it a vantage point for hunting – proof that they knew long before us that a sunken ship is far from being lifeless?
Or was it simply a moment of pause, a rest stop on a much longer voyage?
Perhaps it was a meeting point for travellers, an information kiosk to exchange news of safety, hidden risks, and secret shortcuts embedded in their watery and windy pathways.
Other stories in this series:
About the Authors
Karishma is a photographer whose work is based on the stories of people, action, and community. Right now, she’s chasing stories underwater—capturing marine life and the ways we live, work, and play in the sea.
Chetana is a wildlife biologist, ocean explorer and educator. Dogs love her almost as much as she loves them.
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