Divers inspecting the sunken Wahine

Members of a Japanese salvage firm and Royal New Zealand Navy divers inspect the wreckage of the Wahine about eight days after it sank on 10 April 1968. These and later examinations revealed that the damage to the ship's hull was much worse than was first thought. The plating and frames had been so badly damaged by the hard impact as the vessel struck the sea floor that any salvage effort was impossible. The Wahine therefore became a total loss.