Video
Episode 3 - Mandalay
Transcript
Hi! My name is Astrid Rybeck and I'm a Park Ranger here at Biscayne National Park,
the largest marine park in the National Park Service.
The eastern waters of the park contain untold numbers of ships
that have been lost upon the shallow patches of coral reef.
Six of these shipwrecks have been carefully chosen to be part of
the only underwater maritime heritage trail in the National Park Service.
Before we look closer at the most recent shipwreck on the trail, "Mandalay,"
it is important that we look at some of the natural features
that have helped to shape this Park's unique maritime history.
Biscayne National Park is comprised of mangrove shorelines,
the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay,
the northern portion of the Florida Keys,
and the northern section of the Florida coral reef.
From pirates to homesteaders, people have long since utilized
the valuable natural resources found in these waters.
For hundreds of years, the eastern boundary of Biscayne National Park has
been a marine super highway for international trade and commerce.
It is the northward flowing Gulf Stream that has powered this aquatic superhighway.
It has propelled ships around the tip of Florida to ports worldwide.
While many ships were able to safely navigate the perilous waters of the Gulf Stream,
and the shallow waters that border it, many could not.
For many years, ships braved these waters out of necessity.
By the mid-1900s, ships were also traveling these beautiful waters for recreation and enjoyment.
"Mandalay" is one such ship.
Before her complete ruin upon the reefs, she was an impressive two-masted sailing ship.
She also had a powerful engine.
This combination of sail and motor power enabled her to travel long distances.
Originally built in 1928, she was christened "Hardi Biaou."
She was a model of luxury, decorated in mahogany, teak and ivory.
During World War II, she was sold and renamed "Valor."
Under this name, she served in the United States Coast Guard
as a patrol boat providing protection on the eastern seaboard
from the potentially deadly German U-Boats.
After the war, she kept the name "Valor" until she was purchased by the Windjammer Cruise Line.
She was then christened "Mandalay."
It was during the return trip from a cruise to the Bahamas that "Mandalay" met her ill fate
on Long Reef in what is now Biscayne National Park.
High winds and navigational errors made by the captain and an inexperienced helmsman
contributed to the ship's tragic grounding in the early hours of New Year's Day, 1966.
Throughout the night, the US Coast Guard used helicopters to rescue all of "Mandalay's" passengers
and crew and to safely transport them to shore.
That very weekend, every self-styled salvor in the Miami area descended upon the stranded wreck.
They pried loose all of the portholes, masts, cleats, hatches, ivory and teak fixtures, the brass fittings, and the ship's bell.
They also took all of the navigational equipment and personal items
that had been left behind by the passengers and crew.
What little remained of the skeleton of the once elegant vessel
was left to surrender to the fury and power of the wind and the waves.
"Mandalay" now has a new life as part of Biscayne National Park's Maritime Heritage Trail.
Much of the ship's original structure is still visible.
Seeing the fuel tank, the mast steps, the propeller shaft, and the ship's skeleton make it very easy to imagine
what "Mandalay" looked like when she was sailing as the "red carpet ship of the Windjammer fleet.",
Not only does the structure add to the unique human stories of Biscayne National Park,
but the wreck has also come to be a natural habitat for an abundance of marine life.
Snorkelers can see fish of every shape, size, and color.
The shallow water surrounding "Mandalay's" wreckage
makes this area an ideal location for exploration by first time snorkelers.
A permanent mooring buoy has been installed near the wreck.
This ball gives private boaters an easy, safe way to explore the wreck and the surrounding reef.
You can help protect "Mandalay's" story by remembering that this site,
like all of the archeological sites in Biscayne National Park,
is part of our shared heritage.
Remember to take only pictures and leave only bubbles.
Dive into history and discover the stories behind the shipwrecks of Biscayne's Maritime Heritage Trail.
Description
The Mandalay shipwreck. This video is open-captioned.
Duration
5 minutes, 12 seconds
Credit
Thomas M. Strom
Date Created
05/23/2013
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