ADV229 online

ESPIRITU SANTO
Diving Espiritu Santo is synonymous with diving the SS
President Coolidge, but it’s not the only dive in town. Wreck
diving options also include the infamous Million Dollar
Beach and the USS Tucker, and for coral lovers, there’s
plenty of fringing reefs, drop offs and coral gardens to
explore.
Being home to the world’s largest, most accessible wreck
in the world, Santo is popular with technical divers, using
their skills to plunge the depths of the SS President
Coolidge. This 33,000-tonne converted luxury liner sank
during WWII after hitting a (friendly) mine, and now rests
in depths of 21 to 70 metres. The impressive wreck is
one of the most exciting wreck dives in the world, that is
accessible to recreational divers.
If you want to see the whole wreck, you’ll need between 10
and 15 dives, and technical diving allows divers more time
to explore the seemingly endless corridors, hidden alcoves
and cavernous cargo holds.
Other technical dive sites around Santo include Million
Dollar Point where you can explore the famously dumped
WWII equipment in depths of up to 50m.
Dive Centres on Espiritu Santo, provide technical dive
training and support both open circuit and rebreather
technical divers, with a range of gases and equipment
available for hire.
For those seeking coral reefs, there’s Ratarata Reef and
two at Tutuba Island, with good chances of seeing resident
turtles, barracudas and other passing pelagics, plus
Cindy’s Reef, off Aore Island, which provides easy reef
diving with good visibility.
TANNA
Diving Tanna is very different from diving Port Vila or
Santo, as Tanna is a more remote volcanic island – with
an active volcano. Diving Tanna, you will experience
crystal clear water, colourful hard coral reefs and an
amazing topology of swim throughs and blue holes.
The diving on Tanna also offers shear vertical walls with
pelagic action including reef sharks, turtles, schools of
yellowfin tuna and barracuda as well as the wreck of a
small cargo boat.
One of the most unique aspects of diving in Tanna is
the vast amount of easily accessible swim-throughs and
caves. Some so small you question whether it’s possible
to squeeze through, but the local dive guides at Volcano
Island Divers know this fringing reef like the back of their
hand and expertly weave through it.
When to dive
Diving is possible year-round in Vanuatu, with water
temperature varying between 24ºC - 29ºC depending on
the season, with the warmest months from January to
May and the coolest in August. There is also a distinct
difference in water temperature from north in Santo, to
south, at Tanna. Rainy season runs from December to
March, however with steep drop offs this does not affect
visibility.
94//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#229