Wrecks · reef · blue holes
Diving in Vanuatu: Wrecks, Blue Holes and Reef Walls
Vanuatu is a wreck destination first. The rest — reef, walls, caverns, blue holes — is good, and would not by itself bring people this far.
The Coolidge
The SS President Coolidge off Luganville is the reason most divers come. A 199-metre liner converted to a troopship, lying on her port side from about 20 metres at the bow to 70 at the stern, entered from the shore.
The shallow sections are within recreational limits. The engine room, the holds and the stern are not, and the site has a record that reflects people treating it as though they were. Local operators set their own progression and it is not negotiable.
Million Dollar Point
A short distance along the same coast, where American forces pushed their equipment into the sea in 1945 — trucks, bulldozers, cranes, in a debris field running down a slope. Shallow, and dived as a site in its own right.
Blue holes
Freshwater sinkholes on Espiritu Santo, fed by springs and clear to the bottom. Nanda, Riri and Matevulu are reached by road or river. Snorkelling for the most part.
Reef
Reef diving runs off Efate, including the Star of Russia wreck in Port Vila harbour itself, and off the outer islands where sites are largely undived. Condition is generally good; the limiting factor is access rather than the reef.
When
The dry season, May to October, for visibility and sea state. The Coolidge is sheltered enough to dive year-round.
Operators and standards
Dive operations run from Port Vila, Luganville and, at smaller scale, Tanna and the outer islands. On the Coolidge the established operators run a staged progression and will not take a diver deep on a first dive, whatever the certification. That is not commercial caution; there is no recompression chamber in Vanuatu and an incident means evacuation.
What the reef holds
Hard and soft coral in good condition on the outer islands, with reef fish, turtles and reef sharks. Dugong are present around several islands including Epi. The reef is generally healthier the further from a town you get, which is the opposite of the pattern in much of the region and tracks population.
Cave and cavern
Limestone on Santo produces cavern diving and the freshwater blue holes, which are snorkelled more often than dived. These are not technical cave systems in the Mexican sense, and operators treat the distinction seriously.
Seasons
May to October for visibility and sea state — see when to visit. Water temperature runs 25 to 28°C year-round, so thermal protection is a comfort question and not a safety one.
Getting there
Luganville on Santo is the base for the wreck diving and is served by domestic flights from Port Vila and by a limited number of international services. Most divers give it four days minimum, which is what a sensible progression on the Coolidge takes.
Common questions
What is the best dive in Vanuatu?
The SS President Coolidge off Luganville — a 199-metre wreck entered from the shore, and the reason most divers come.
Is there a recompression chamber?
No. A diving injury means evacuation to Australia or New Zealand, which is why operators run conservative profiles and why cover matters.
When is the best time to dive?
May to October for visibility and sea state. Water temperature runs 25 to 28°C year-round.
Can beginners dive here?
Yes — reef diving off Efate and Santo suits any certification. The deeper sections of the Coolidge do not, and operators will not take a diver there on a first dive.
Beyond Santo
Port Vila operators dive the Star of Russia in the harbour, an iron sailing ship from 1874, along with reef sites around Efate and the drop-offs off Hideaway and Mele. Tanna has a small operation working reef and volcanic topography on the south coast, and the outer islands have sites that have been dived a handful of times.
Marine life
Reef fish in good numbers, turtles, reef sharks, rays and — around Epi and parts of Efate — dugong. Coral cover improves with distance from population, and the reefs off the least visited islands are in materially better condition than anything within reach of a town.
Practical points
Nitrox is available in Luganville and Port Vila. Equipment hire is standard at established operations and thinner elsewhere. Anyone diving the Coolidge should arrive with logged dives sufficient for the progression instead of expecting to build them on site, and should plan the last dive well clear of the flight home.