Far from the human tempests that marked her passage in life, at least now -- in her watery tomb -- the Xing Da has found peace, if not a more noble purpose.

Scuttled to a depth of about 95 feet and embraced in a world of spectacular blue, the infamous Chinese freighter -- once abused, once reviled -- lies upright in the sand at the bottom of the Eastern Blue Cut, reborn as one of Island's most promising dive sites.

"She really seems like she's in her own realm; the only way to describe her is eerie,'' said Nautilus Diving Ltd.'s Nancy Wan, who recently extended an invitation to The Royal Gazette for a first-hand look at Bermuda's newest "wreck-reational'' attraction.

After a 50-minute journey from the Princess Hotel aboard Nautilus' dive boat, the Cante Libra , we don wetsuits and tanks and slip into water that's too warm and too clear to believe.

At the top of our descent the first thing we see is her rigging, surreal strands of white lace stabbing up from the ocean floor. A few feet deeper and the soft edge of her bridge house, then her deck comes into view.

There is no question, agree Nancy and Cante Libra captain Heinz Lauppi, that the Xing Da will rival, possibly surpass the best of Bermuda's world-class wrecks.

At total depth, the 225-foot hulk offers experienced divers the option of a multi-level dive, while novice divers can explore her bridge at about 60 feet and her rigging at a comfortable 35 feet.

An experienced guide or dive buddy is essential however. On this dive Nancy -- a PADI dive instructor with over eight years under her weight belt -- sets the pace and defines the plan.

At about 90 feet, the only life we encounter is a school of wide-eyed chub, dolphin fish, and the flash of a few yellow-fin tuna.

The wreck site is almost pristine; listing slightly to the right, the Xing Da seems to have settled largely on the sandbed with her bow facing due east. And despite confirmation of some reef damage, none is visible at 60 feet as we ascend to the maindeck to explore the rigging.

Following Nancy, we glide through the abandoned bridge, stopping only to listen to the ghostly moan of a window -- somewhere -- creaking open and closed in the underwater current.

"I really wasn't prepared for the size of it; and getting used to all the noises,'' said Nancy. "The sound of the window banging was something else; very spooky.'' Capt. Lauppi, an 18-year-veteran of Bermuda's crystal blue waters, is equally impressed: "There's no doubt it will become popular, probably more so than the Hermes .

"I expect it will appeal to the East Coast diver who is used to diving on deeper wrecks; the Xing Da is certainly that and more. She's totally intact, penetrable, and beautiful to look at.'' And despite the controversy surrounding her sinking, both divers agree the move will put Bermuda -- already the Atlantic's top wreck-diving destination -- even further ahead of the competition.

"Think about the Caymans, which just spent $250,000 to buy a old Russian destroyer to sink as an artificial reef,'' said Capt. Lauppi. "And here the Americans give us this amazing gift -- plus the money to clean it up. How can we lose.'' IN THE RIGGING -- Nancy Wan climbs the Xing Da's main mast.

BALANCING ACT -- Diver Nancy Wan explores one of the more precarious footholds on the Xing Da .

WAN AND ONLY -- Nautilus Diving's Nancy Wan atop the Xing Da's bridge.