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The World's Greatest Wreck Dives
A great wreck dive delivers two things simultaneously: history and marine life. The ships on this list have had decades — in some cases a century — to become artificial reefs. The combination of navigating a human structure in silence and watching the ocean reclaim it is unlike any natural dive site.
1. SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea (Egypt)
A British Armed Merchant Navy ship sunk in 1941 by German bombers, the Thistlegorm lies at 28 metres north of Ras Mohammed. Its holds contain WWII military cargo still in place: motorcycles, truck cabs, railway cars, Lee-Enfield rifles, rubber boots. Accessible from Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh liveaboards; consistently ranked a top-five wreck dive worldwide.
2. USAT Liberty, Tulamben (Bali, Indonesia)
A US Army cargo ship torpedoed in 1942, beached at Tulamben and pushed into the sea by Mount Agung's 1963 eruption. Now lies on a slope in 3–30 metres, accessible from shore. Dense marine life — sweetlips, bump-head parrotfish, lionfish, bumphead parrotfish at dawn. Suitable for all certification levels.
3. Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon (Micronesia)
Truk Lagoon (now Chuuk) holds the largest collection of WWII Japanese wrecks on Earth — over 60 vessels sunk during Operation Hailstone in February 1944. Fujikawa Maru is the most photogenic: Zero fighter planes still visible in the holds, coral-encrusted artillery on deck, and a compact enough layout to swim the full exterior on one dive.
4. MV Zenobia, Larnaca (Cyprus)
A Swedish ferry that capsized on her maiden voyage in 1980 and lies on her side at 16–42 metres. One of the Mediterranean's best dives: 104 Lorries still chained on the vehicle deck, swimming through the interior corridors (with guide), and remarkable visibility. Accessible by day trip from Larnaca.
5. SS Yongala, Queensland (Australia)
A passenger steamer sunk in Cyclone Leonta in 1911; no one survived. Now lies at 14–28 metres off the coast near Townsville, surrounded by some of the densest marine life in Australia: bull sharks, giant gropers, sea snakes, eagle rays, and Queensland grouper circling the hull. Widely regarded as the finest wreck dive in the Indo-Pacific.
6. Bianca C, Grenada (Caribbean)
Known as 'The Titanic of the Caribbean,' this Italian ocean liner sank in 1961 after an onboard explosion. Lies at 30–50 metres in Grenada's Grand Anse Bay, encrusted with black coral and sponges. Large, atmospheric, and dramatically positioned on a steep sand slope.
7. Salem Express, Safaga (Egypt)
A passenger ferry that sank in a storm in 1991 with significant loss of life — a fact that some divers feel makes it a site requiring particular respect. Lies at 10–30 metres; the shallowest parts accessible to Open Water divers. The contrast between the ferry's ordinary civilian contents and the marine life colonising it is striking.
8. USS Oriskany, Florida (USA)
A 274-metre US aircraft carrier deliberately sunk in 2006 off Pensacola as an artificial reef — the largest vessel ever intentionally scuttled for diving. The flight deck starts at 38 metres, beyond recreational limits for much of the structure, but the upper superstructure is accessible at 25–35 metres. Amberjack, goliath grouper, and enormous schools of fish.
9. Dunraven, Ras Mohammed (Egypt)
A Victorian-era British cargo steamship that sank in 1876 and lies upside-down at 18–28 metres on the reef edge. The hull forms a tunnel through which divers can swim, colonised inside and out with remarkable soft coral growth. Accessible by day boat or liveaboard from Sharm el-Sheikh.
10. President Coolidge, Vanuatu
A luxury ocean liner converted to a troop ship and sunk in 1942 after striking friendly mines off Espiritu Santo. One of the largest accessible wrecks in the world — 194 metres long, lying at 20–65 metres. Penetration dives reach 'The Lady' (a porcelain figurine on the officers' fireplace), the engine room, and holds still containing military equipment. The site in Vanuatu is famous for its dive operation; nearly all dives are guided.