Subic Bay Wreck Diving

Subic Bay, about 60 kilometres southwest of Angeles City, offers some of the best wreck diving in Asia. The bay holds the remains of several vessels from World War II, many of them American ships sunk during or after the war. The most celebrated is the Oryoku Maru, a Japanese passenger liner converted to a prison ship that was bombed by American aircraft in 1944 while carrying Allied prisoners of war — a complex and sobering story attached to a genuinely impressive dive site.

The reefs, damaged by the 1991 Pinatubo eruption, have made a strong recovery. Sharks, rays, sea turtles, and large schools of reef fish are regularly sighted. Several dive operators in Subic Olongapo offer day packages including equipment rental and multiple dives. The drive from Angeles City takes about an hour on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, making it a comfortable day trip.

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A story
The USS New York (not the battleship, but a different vessel) is one of several American ships that were scuttled in Subic Bay after World War II. They came to rest at depths accessible to recreational divers, and the decades since have turned them into artificial reefs. The USS San Quentin — sunk in 1945 — lies upright in about 27 metres of water, with coral and fish colonies now occupying what were once gun turrets and cargo holds.

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