The largest World War II naval and military facility in the Pacific behind Pearl Harbour, the clear waters of Santo hold a treasure trove of sunken ships and aircraft, making it one of the best wreck diving hubs in the South Pacific.
Over time, these sunken vessels have evolved into artificial reefs, providing a sanctuary for a diverse range of marine life, from corals and sponges that attach to the structures to schools of tropical fish that seek shelter within the nooks and crannies. Add these four shipwrecks to your must-dive list.
SS President Coolidge
If there’s one Vanuatu dive site to rule them all, it’s the Coolidge. The luxury liner–turned World War II troop transport vessel struck a mine and sank 6km east of the Luganville in 1942. Lying on its port side just offshore, the 200m-long ship is easily accessible from the shore, but due to its depth (20-60m) you’ll need to hold an advanced open water (AOW) certification or higher.
Factor on doing at least two dives on the Coolidge so you can penetrate the ship from your second dive onwards. Highlights include military hardware including coral encrusted guns, a remarkably intact doctor’s surgery, a porcelain bas-relief statue at 39m known as ‘the lady’ and marine life including a giant moray eel named Nessie, electric clams and delicate fan corals. Look out for octopuses and brightly coloured peacock mantis shrimp on the bow as you finish your dive.
Million Dollar Point
After World War II, the US Army built a small jetty about 800m east of the Coolidge wreck and drove hundreds of military vehicles and heavy machinery into the sea after British and French authorities refused to buy them. This huge jumble of metal, tyres and assorted goods (from Coca-Cola bottles to dishware) is now an excellent sloping shore dive suitable for open water divers (OWD), with some areas shallow enough for snorkelling in calm conditions. Look out for coral encrusted mess trays used by soldiers as well as turtles dozing in the wreckage. You can also explore the Dedele, a small inter-island trader said to have been deliberately scuttled here.
USS Tucker
Located in the Bruat Channel, a narrow strait between Aore and Malo islands, the USS Tucker (DD-374) is a 115m-long World War II Mahan-class destroyer sunk by a friendly mine in 1942 – the same minefield that struck the Coolidge less than three months later. The wreckage is broken up and spread across 165m of gently sloping seabed, resting at a depth of 16-22m (suitable for OWD divers) with consistently good visibility. The stainless-steel structure is now covered in vibrant soft corals and you can safely swim into the hull and explore various engine rooms on this boat dive.
MV Henry Bonneaud
Unlike many of the unintentional shipwrecks in Santo’s clear waters, the Henry Bonneaud was an island trader deliberately sunk in 1989 to create a dive site. Sitting upright at 30-42m just off Bokissa Island, about 7km south of Million Dollar Point, this boat dive requires an AOW certification or higher. Divers can weave through its corridors, observing the takeover of marine life including clownfish dating in and out of swaying anemones and the occasional turtle or reef shark. The Henry Bonneaud is a particularly popular night dive, when flashlight fish (named for the bioluminescent organs located underneath their eyes) swarm about the wreck like fireflies.
Written by Sarah Reid