Vanuatu’s Hidden Treasures
Team member Helen Cox spends most of her time arranging topside wildlife adventures, but recently took some time out to dive the famous SS President Coolidge, an American luxury liner that sunk in 1942. In addition to the fascinating relics and treasures found during this dive, Helen also reflects on the incredible variety of coral and marine life she experienced.
There’s something surreal about looking out across an idyllic azure sea, knowing there’s an enormous 200-metre-long luxury cruise liner turned troopship submerged close below, its bow marked by a buoy.
This dive site in Vanuatu is rightly legendary; known to be one of the best World War II wreck dives in the world. Well-preserved, and lying on its port side, there are intriguing decks, holes and cargo holds to swim through and explore, with a variety of both civilian and military artefacts to be seen.
Whilst excitedly discovering these treasures, we were joined by many colourful fish, clams, a moray eel, harlequin shrimp, and hard and soft corals that have made the ship their home.
We swam past the chain locker and a seven centimetre gun, had a look at an ammunition store, and went inside a cargo hold with the remains of Jeeps inside. From there, we ascended to a cooking pot which had been brought up from the deep, so that recreational divers can look at branded American saucers, cups and a gas mask. There were several rifles here too, that you can pose with if you feel inclined!
The SS President Coolidge is worthy of several dives to explore further. An iconic sight is of ‘The Lady’, a porcelain relief of a woman riding a unicorn at 40 metres - a sign of the liner’s former grandeur. There are many other fascinating items and rooms to discover in the range of recreational diving, such as a typewriter, a pile of uniforms, bottles filled with interesting coloured liquid, a barber’s chair and more.
There are 20 recognised routes to take over a range of depths (the stern lies between 60 and 73 metres). I took the opportunity to do a night dive, the highlight of which was several hundred flashlight fish that sparkled magically in the dark inside the wreck. A really special experience - like floating in outer space with twinkling stars in every direction.
Ascending from the Coolidge, there’s nice fish life and colourful corals, with electric clams, nudibranchs, turtles and even dugongs possible.
There are other wrecks and wonderful reef dives on Santo, and other islands in Vanuatu such as Efate and Tanna. Whilst in the country, diving can be combined with excursions, learning about the fascinating culture of the locals, enjoying the beauty of blue holes, waterfalls and rainforests filled with exotic birdsong, watching lava explode from an active volcano, kayaking, snorkelling and more.
The super-friendly, ever-smiling people of Vanuatu are ready to welcome you into their slice of paradise.
Images by Helen Cox
If Helen's experience has inspired you to explore SS President Coolidge and some of Vanuatu's other hidden treasures, check out our Dive & Discover Vanuatu trip idea today, or contact our expert team for further information on this remote archipelago destination.
