Samir Alhafith, founder of The Sydney Project, and Navy Clearance Diver Lieutenant Rus Pnevski take us deep into one of NSW’s most enduring maritime mysteries — the rediscovery of the SS Nemesis. Built in 1880 by Thomas Turnbull & Sons in Whitby, England, the steamship was later used to haul coal between Newcastle and Melbourne and was tragically lost in a savage gale off Wollongong on the night of July 8–9, 1904, taking all 32 crew members with her.

For over a century, the location of the 73-metre iron-hulled wreck remained unknown. Debris and bodies washed ashore at Cronulla, but the hull eluded discovery — until May 2022, when Subsea Professional Marine Services stumbled upon it by accident while searching for lost shipping containers roughly 26 km offshore in about 160 metres of water.

Identification came after CSIRO’s RV Investigator conducted high-resolution seafloor mapping with multibeam echosounders and captured drop-camera footage of key structural features — including two of the ship’s anchors — confirming the wreck as the long-lost SS Nemesis.

Now the wreck lies upright on a sandy plain, with serious damage to its bow and stern. The storm appears to have overwhelmed the engine, and a massive wave struck before lifeboats could be launched, sealing its fate.

In this episode, Samir and Rus walk us through their historic dive — the first human dive on the wreck in over 120 years. We share video footage from the team, taking you deep into the thrill and discovery, the history that nearly vanished, and even the gear troubles they faced in 160-metre depths.

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Dive Travel with Nomadic Scuba
Everyone needs a solid travel buddy… Founded by Matt, Nomadic Scuba is an online booking agency for scuba divers. Chances are, Matt himself will sort out your trip - he’s a bit of a planning geek (and loves it!). Check out Nomadic Scuba today and Breathe life into your adventure!

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🎵 Music: Forever Young by the legend - AudioCoffee | AudioCoffee.net

Today I’m joined by the incredibly talented Matt Krumins - a Melbourne-based professional photographer with over 15 years of experience across landscapes, wildlife, events, and underwater photography.

A keen diver, he commenced his underwater journey over 2 decades ago and I’ve admired Matt’s work for several years, particularly his striking big animal imagery from South Africa and his captivating underwater shots from Tufi Resort - where I had the privilege of living for a year.

Matt’s passion for nature and storytelling through imagery is unmistakable, and his journey back underwater is one I’ve been looking forward to.

He was named an Olympus Underwater Ambassador back in 2016 and in 2022 took out the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year award in the Monochrome category.

Beyond the accolades, Matt is a passionate educator who believes photography should be fun, creative, and accessible to everyone.

Get ready for an inspiring chat with one of the most down-to-earth talents in the field. Let’s dive right in!

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Love the show?
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Want to be a guest on the show?
GREAT! - use this link, drop your details & let's get chatting.

Dive Travel with Nomadic Scuba
Everyone needs a solid travel buddy… Founded by Matt, Nomadic Scuba is an online booking agency for scuba divers. Chances are, Matt himself will sort out your trip - he’s a bit of a planning geek (and loves it!). Check out Nomadic Scuba today and Breathe life into your adventure!

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🎵 Music: Forever Young by the legend - AudioCoffee | AudioCoffee.net

In this episode of The Scuba GOAT Podcast, host Matt Waters is joined by marine surveyor Mick Uberti to take a deep dive into the realities of dive liveaboard safety—what’s working, what’s failing, and what needs to change. With over two decades of experience in maritime safety, Mick has worked with boat owners worldwide, including the UAE royal family and Richard Branson. As the founder of Maritime Survey Australia (MSA) and an AMSA-accredited Domestic Commercial Vessel (DCV) surveyor, he has conducted vessel surveys across the globe, including some of Egypt’s Red Sea liveaboard fleet. His expertise has led to a collaboration with Taucher.net, a leading German diving platform, which has publicly recommended that dive operators in the Red Sea undergo safety audits by Mick’s team at Maritime Survey International (MSI). This episode is part of a larger series on liveaboards, aiming to provide a 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 exploration of the industry. While many operators uphold and even exceed safety expectations, others fall dangerously short—often due to a complex web of contributing factors. Mick and Matt discuss legal loopholes, flag states with differing safety standards, lack of enforcement, financial pressures driving a race-to-the-bottom pricing model, inadequate crew training, and the role of divers themselves in demanding luxury at unsustainable costs. By learning from both the best and worst examples, this series aims to equip listeners with the knowledge to identify safe liveaboards and understand the broader challenges at play. Whether you’re a seasoned liveaboard diver or considering your first trip, this conversation will shed light on the unseen forces shaping safety standards in the industry. 🎧 Tune in now for an essential discussion on the future of liveaboard safety!

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Love the show?
Reviews help us grow and let us know you're listening - If you can spare two minutes, please leave a review here.

Want to be a guest on the show?
GREAT! - use this link, drop your details & let's get chatting.

Dive Travel with Nomadic Scuba
Everyone needs a solid travel buddy… Founded by Matt, Nomadic Scuba is an online booking agency for scuba divers. Chances are, Matt himself will sort out your trip - he’s a bit of a planning geek (and loves it!). Check out Nomadic Scuba today and Breathe life into your adventure!

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🎵 Music: Forever Young by the legend - AudioCoffee | AudioCoffee.net