The German light cruiser SMS Dresden lies on the floor of Cumberland Bay, scuttled by her own crew in March 1915 after being cornered by Royal Navy ships at the end of a long pursuit across the South Atlantic and Pacific. She rests upright at about 60–70 metres, beyond the reach of recreational divers, but the wreck is visible from boats above on calm days.
A small memorial on the waterfront in San Juan Bautista lists the names of the German sailors who died in the action, and the island still observes the anniversary.