Shipwreck's past caught up in its murky waters

Under swirling clouds, the outline of the wreck becomes visible in a patch of shimmering blue sea in the coral reef, 60 kilometres west of Geraldton.

A place of jaw-dropping beauty, for centuries this reef was a deadly trap for European seafarers. It claimed its most notorious prize in the early hours of June 4, 1629, when the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia, laden with gold and silver, ran aground, leading to a desperate fight for survival - and one of the worst massacres at sea recorded.
As sailor turned against sailor, some opportunists took control, slaughtering the young, old and weak, and any women they weren't interested in raping. "Just don't call the voyage 'heroic'," said Jeff Brooks, chairman of the Batavia Coast Replica Boat Association. "They were saving their skins."

Historic: A picture of the Batavia.

In recent years, fishermen digging a drain on Beacon Island (which survivors named Batavia's graveyard) found a mass grave with mutilated skeletons.
It vindicated the terrifying stories that persisted through the ages.
After 300 years of quietly lying in its watery grave, the Batavia was discovered in 1963 and has now become one of Western Australia's big tourist drawcards, thanks to its "Shipwreck Special" flights.