On the night of 1–2 August 1943, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri sliced through PT-109, a patrol torpedo boat commanded by Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, in Blackett Strait north of New Georgia. Two crew were killed instantly. Kennedy led the eleven survivors on a four-hour swim to Plum Pudding Island (now called Kennedy Island), where they survived for days until rescued by Solomon Islander scouts.
The site where PT-109 went down lies in Blackett Strait, roughly between Kolombangara and Gizo. Kennedy Island — a tiny coral cay — can be visited by boat from Gizo, the capital of the Western Province. A simple monument marks the spot where the future US president swam ashore.
Most operators based in Gizo offer day trips to Kennedy Island. The wreck of PT-109 itself was located in 2002 by a National Geographic expedition; it lies in about 1,200 feet of water and is not diveable. What you can see: the island, the strait, and a vivid sense of how close Kennedy came to dying before becoming president.