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An underwater wonderland

PICTURE: Courtesy Allan Power

Numbered among the world’s great wreck dives, the SS President Coolidge offers seemingly endless opportunities for exploration.

The WWII troop carrier, SS President Coolidge, which sank in 1942, still lies in the waters off Espiritu Santo and is now protected by Vanuatu law.

I learnt to scuba dive here with Allan Power Dive Tours, so I have been really spoilt having ‘cut my teeth’ and ‘earned my stripes’ on arguably the best dive site in the world.

A short drive out of Luganville, we come to a beautifully manicured tropical garden that has clearly been a labour of love. We don scuba equipment, then a short stroll through shallow water and a gently sloping 3m descent brings us to another type of garden – this one made of beautiful corals, adorned by myriad fish.

The water is clear and warm and, because of the clarity, non-divers can also enjoy snorkelling at the surface.

A quick check on equipment and divers follow a bowline that firmly ties the President Coolidge to a nearby

coral bommie. Midway along the bowline, we peer forward and the dark shape of the ship resolves itself out of the deep blue surrounds and slowly comes into focus.

It is much bigger than I had expected and has an aura surrounding it that is unforgettable.

Laying on its port side, the bow is presented first to divers, but it is the three-inch turret-mounted gun that commands most attention.

Continuing past the anchor winch, divers may get a glimpse of Nessie, a large moray eel which has taken up residence there, content to monitor the progress of divers as they swim on to what is left of the ship’s promenade deck.

Here, the President Coolidge begins to reveal some of her treasures and the tale of her demise, for this area is littered with rifles, helmets, gas masks and an array of possessions ordered ACTIVITIES

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PICTURES: VTO and Andrew Read, Vivid Vanuatu

to be left behind as the soldiers abandoned ship.

Shining a torchlight and peering in through an opening from the promenade deck reveals how closely soldiers were packed into these transport vessels.

A row of toilets stretches the length of a corridor, as close together as the seats in a theatre but with the armrests removed. There was no room for modesty or privacy on the President Coolidge’s last voyage.

A quick check of time and depth reveals the need to start our ascent.

As we head up and across the starboard side of the hull and back to the coral garden for a safety stop, there is one last danger to negotiate – the dreaded damselfish, flaming orange in colour.

It may be only 5cm long but it vigorously defends its territory and many divers have been confronted head on by this savage beast as it head butts their masks and occasionally nibbles on their ears.

Surviving this part of the dive guarantees a safe return and, for most, an interest in the President Coolidge and its fascinating history that will last forever.

As an introduction to the Coolidge, this is a great dive, but we’ve only just scratched the surface and each new dive will be more exciting and enjoyable than the last.

By Greg Hollis

The SS President Coolidge hit friendly mines in October 1942, as she approached Luganville, Espiritu Santo. Her watery grave is a mecca for divers from all over the world.

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