Wednesday 18 June – Diving SS Coolidge

Rowan, Rob and Frances all got up early to dive on the wreck of the SS Coolidge, I don’t dive, I have not done my certification, I was pregnant when Rowan did it in Belize. With my funky ears I wouldn’t risk it anyway. They were gone by 7am.

The Coolidge was an American luxury ocean liner that was completed in 1931. She served as a troopship from December 1941 until October 1942, when she was sunk by mines coming into Luganville. There was a big US military base at Luganville, the harbour was heavily mined to protect it. Somehow they forgot to tell the SS Coolidge that the main entrance was mined, the entry was the small channel not the large one they entered. What a fatal mistake! They managed to beach the ship and all 5340 troops disembarked safely. After 90 minutes the vessel slipped into the deeper waters of the channel. It means it is a relatively shallow wreck to dive, it is at a steep angle, so one end is a lot deeper. Almost completely intact, they swam through the numerous holds and decks, viewing the reminders of her glorious days as a cruise liner and the remnants of her days as a troop ship. They all had a great dive and saw loads – guns, cannons, jeeps, helmets, trucks, a barber’s chair. Everything is still lying there, covered with coral, with loads of fish and turtles swimming through. They did two 45 minute dives and were taken down by two local divers.

I stayed on board doing laundry and chores. They got back by 11am, very impressed but exhausted. Everyone required a nap and after lunch we went and relaxed at the resort pool. It is a lovely resort, the little bungalows look great too, all facing the sea with a lovely white sandy beach in front. Once again we returned to the resort for supper, we head back to Port Vila tomorrow which will take us a few days, so making the most of being on land.

You can just see the outline of the ship on google maps. No underwater photos, as Rowan’s GoPro can’t go that deep

Another purple sky