»Wreckdiving in Subic - Diving to the relics of past wars«

Our new trip – bookable from May 2008 Dive the war ships in Subic Tracking the colonial age and World War 2
Subic – a hot spot for wreck divers Subic Bay is located north of Manila and a real Mecca for enthusiastic wreck divers. The bay contains various ship wrecks from antic Spanish galleons to the American World War 2 cruiser USS New York.
Reason for the huge number of wrecks in Subic is its strategic location and eventful history. Subic Bay provides shelter for all types of ships and is used as a harbor since many decades. The first major naval base was founded by the Spanish and got captured by the US Navy in 1900.

During World War 2 the naval base was badly damaged by Japanese bombers and occupied in 1942. Retaken in 1945 Subic served as one of the largest US bases in the world. In the meantime the base was closed.

Due to it’s sheltered location the bay you can dive the bay under almost all weather conditions with a visibility of about 45 feet. Most of the wrecks are overgrown by coral and only few withstand nature depending on how long they lay on the bottom of the ocean.

A zodiac with a powerful outboard engine and a traditional banka are in service to take the divers to the near by wrecks within a few minutes. The local dive guides now the wrecks very well and great all divers with the typical Philippine friendliness and openness. With no delay we get ready to explore the first wreck

De Seian Maru

Depth: 15 until 25 Meters
Long: 107 Meters
Wide: 15 Meters
Position: Starboard side
Current: Generally calm some current on tide

Diving Information: Located between Alava pier and the end of the airport runway. Just outside of the shipping lanes and 150 meters from the USS New York. Sunk by aircraft 19 November 1944 after running aground outside of Subic Bay on 17 November.
The top deck of the ship was further damaged by demolition teams in 1967. Decent line is attached near the rudder.

Wreck History: Located between Alava pier and the end of the airport runway. Just outside of the shipping lanes and 150 meters from the USS New York. Sunk by aircraft 19 November 1944 after running aground outside of Subic Bay on 17 November.
The top deck of the ship was further damaged by demolition teams in 1967. Decent line is attached near the rudder.

El Capitan

Depth: 5 until 21 Meters
Long: 90 Meters
Wide: 16 Meters
Position: Starboard side
Current: Generally Calm

Diving Information: At a depth of slightly over 18 meters the outside of the wreck provides an excellent site for divers. The forward hole is wide-open allowing entry by even novice divers. The top side (starboard side) is at 5 meters, which eliminates the need for an additional safety stop. This area is alive with a wide variety of fish. From the forward hole, additional areas of the ship may be accessed. One route takes you to the accommodation area and on to rear cargo hold.

Wreck History: Normally referred to as the El Capitan the USS Majaba (AG 43) was built as SS Meriden by Albina Engine & Machine Works, Portland, Oreg., in 1919; acquired by the Navy under charter as SS El Capitan from her owner, E. K. Wood Lumber Co., of San Francisco, Calif., 23 April 1942; renamed Majaba and commissioned the same day. She was placed out of service 14 March 1946 at Subic Bay.

Landing Ship, Tank

Depth: 28 until 35 Meters
Long: 90 Meters
Wide: 15 Meters
Position: Upright
Current: Generaly Calm

Diving Information: This wreck is often used in dive training for deep and wreck diving. At about 34 meters to the bottom of the wreck it a good area to test Nitrogen narcosis reaction. As a tool for wreck training the ship offers an overhead environment free of entanglements and unobstructed view of the exits. After a brief tour of the hold, divers can explore the deck area. There is also a school of barracudas living permanently next to the wreck. Many Divers claim to have seen bull sharks in the vicinity.

Wreck History: The LST, for "Landing Ship, Tank" was created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and troops directly onto an unimproved shore. Over 50 LST’s were sold for scrape or for commercial use at Subic. As many as 10 may have been used for target practice or just sunk at Subic Bay perimeter. It is impossible to say which ships where brought to Subic, once a ship was stricken from the roles or decommissioned it was no longer tracked by its hull number.

Lanikai

Depth: 27 until 31 Meter
Long: 40 Meter
Position: Upright
Current: Generally Calm

Diving Information: The wreck is lying at 31 meters depth you have to closely monitor your gauges as to bottom time and your air consumption. It is not possible to penetrate the wreck but may enjoy the exterior and the bounty of fishes residence in the wreck.

Wreck History: A movie star, a spy and a war hero all rolled into one. The USS Lanikai was purchase by the US Navy just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hastily fitted with a Spanish American war gun, a WWI Lewis machine-gun and assigned a Naval officer she met the definition of a Navy warship. Her then secret orders were to go follow the Japanese Navy off the coast of Thailand. Historians believe that the intent of this seemly unmilitary craft’s mission was to get the Japanese to sink an American Warship to hasten the US entry into the war. Much like the battleship Maine during the events leading to the Spanish American war. The attack on Pearl Harbor aborted her mission. In her pre-war days she was the star in a movie titled “The Hurricane”. She sank in 1945 during a typhoon (a pacific hurricane) while waiting for repairs.
There has always been a conflict in the diving community about the recovery of artifacts from wrecks. The wreck was “found” in Oct 2003 fully intact. (Some local divers had been diving her since 2000). Under the guise of the national museum, the ship was virtually stripped. What they left leaves this site not worth diving except to say you were there. The National museum should have followed the advice of an old American folk song. “Take what you need but leave the rest, they should have never taken the very best”

Patrol Boat

Depth: 18 until 25 Meters
Long: 31 Meters
Wide: 5 Meters
Position: Upright
Current: Generally Calm

Diving Information: This vessel is situated in a depth of 18 - 25 meters (60-75 feet). Sitting upright. The wreck is a great dive with average visibility from 7-13 meters (20-40 feet). Plenty of marine life is located around the whole wreck. The compartments provide shelter for many schools for juvenile fish. Buoy attached at the bow.

Wreck History: Generally called the Japanese patrol boat this ship has not been fully identified as to name or even type. About 105 feet long and 18 feet wide, a trawler style vessel, possibly a 150-ton tugboat or a Submarine chaser. It sank 1944 or 1945 most likely because of fire after explosion onboard. Details about the reason of the explosion are unknown.

Landing Craft Utility (LCU)

Depth: 10 until 21 Meters
Long: 30 Meters
Wide: 5 Meters
Position: Upright
Current: Generally Calm

Diving Information: The port side of the LCU is about 10 meters deep and offers a nice dive for all divers. The wreck has large open areas .Diving is very relaxed with good fish life. The small rooms on the deck are a great introduction to wreck diving., easy to navigate and possible even without specialized equipment or training. This is a great dive for the underwater photographer and used by some dive centers for wreck specialty training

Wreck History: This vessel is situated in Triboa Bay close to the end of the runway, lies on the edge of a reef with its starboard side lower. Depth is 10-21 meters (35-75 feet) with visibility from 10-16 meters (30-50 feet). It was used during second world war for transport of heavy hardware and infantry. The reason and the date of sinking are unknown.

More pictures from Wreckdiving in Subic

Itinerary

Day 1:
Start in Garden of Eden with private Banka; Arriving in the Hotel in Manila
about 09.30 pm

Day 2:
Departure in Manila at the Hotel at 6 o´clock in the morning;
Arriving in Subic about 9 o´clock
3 dives at the wrecks;
Checkin at the Hotel in Subic (Mango Valley Hotel or Camayan Beach Resort)

Day 3:
3 dives at the wrecks;
Departure to the Garden of Eden; arrival at 11 o´clock in the evening

optional: additional night with wreck diving or diving with false killerwhales and dolphins

Our partner hotels in Subic - Mango Valley Hotel with the diving school Bordwalk

Mango Valley Hotel with the affiliated dive centre Bordwalk
Located downtown Subic the Mango Valley Hotel offers wide opportunities for
shoppers, strollers and explorers. Loads of restaurants invite you to
indulge in seafood, international cuisine or the very much enjoyed
Philippine dishes. In cozy bars you can relax with a tropical cocktail while sharing your
experiences with fellow scuba divers.

Our partner hotels in Subic - The Camayan Beach Resort

Camayan Beach Resort is first choice if you’re looking to stay at a quiet
place with a beautiful beach. With the hotel’s associated dive centre we can
reach the wrecks in a minimum of time.

(pictures Kai Velling and Oceanadventure (Camayan Beach Resort)