El Capitan (USS Majaba)

History: The El Capitan was originally a cargo vessel built in Portland, Oregon in 1919 under the name Meriden before being sold and re-named El Capitan in 1921. In 1942 she was chartered by the US Navy and commissioned as the USS Majaba. While serving in Guadalcanal she was struck by a torpedo on her starboard side amidships and subsequently beached. She was later towed to the Solomon Islands where her engines were removed, and her hull repaired. She stayed there until the end of the war, serving as a barracks and storage ship before eventually being towed to the Philippines in 1945. On July 14th, 1946, she sank in Subic Bay, settling on her port side.

The 91-meter hull is as shallow as 3 meters in some places making her a delight for all levels of diving. Her expansive cargo holds with large entrances makes her great for Wreck Diver and Advanced Wreck Diver Training. Divers can expect to see parrot fish, schools of snapper, Moorish idols, banner fish, pipe fish, and hatchet fish. There are usually various species of nudibranchs hanging out and there have been a few turtles spotted as well. Visibility is usually between 5-10m, occasionally getting to over 15m.

LCU (Landing Craft Utility)

History: It’s possible that this LCU was a former Landing Craft Tank (LCT) which was redesignated as a LCU after the war. These vessels served with the US and Royal Navy and saw action in both the Pacific and Europe during WWII. These WWII-era US Navy landing craft were used to deliver light vehicles and Marines directly onto the beach and then pull themselves back off with a heavy-duty anchor.

The shallow depth and sheltered location make her ideal for less experienced wreck divers. She sits sideways on a gentle slope and has a few small rooms and swim-throughs. She is home to diverse marine fauna and flora, making it a great dive for photographers and videographers. Visibility can range from 3-12 meters. She is surrounded by a sandy bottom with coral outcroppings everywhere.

San Quentin

History: Our oldest known wreck, the San Quentin, was dual powered (wind and steam) and was scuttled in December of 1898 during the Spanish-American war. Her hull and masts were used along with two smaller ships to block the Americans from entering the shallow side of the bay near Grande Island.

Mostly a coral-encrusted skeleton of her former self, she lies upright, 15 meters down, on a sandy bottom near a large reef. Her recurve bow, boilers, and stern are the most prominent features remaining. You can expect schools of fusiliers, hatchet fish, jacks, and ocean catfish as well trumpet fish, wrasse, nudibranchs, and the occasional octopus. She is a favorite amongst Open Water and Advanced. Ask your guide to show you the nearby cement wreck and the reef off her port side and see several more varieties of sea life. Visibility is usually 10-15 meters and get up to the 20m range.

USS New York (ACR-2)

History: An armored cruiser, the USS New York was formerly the flagship of the US South Atlantic Squadron and served in the Spanish-American War. (Side note: the USS Maine, sister ship of the New York, was destroyed in Cuba in February 1898 and contributed to the start of the war). In 1901, after several battles in the Atlantic, she was transferred the Asiatic Fleet and went through several refits to upgrade her guns and armor and keeping her deadly throughout her active years. She went through a few “re-namings” as well (USS Saratoga in 1911 and USS Rochester in 1917) and returned to serve in the Atlantic Fleet for before rejoining the Pacific Fleet in 1932. She was decommissioned in 1933 in Cavite, Philippines and remained moored in Subic Bay, serving as a workshop and storage ship before being scuttled on December 24th, 1941 to keep her out of Japanese hands. She remained intact and was considered a navigation hazard, so US Navy Divers set several large charges on the hull, causing extensive to her midsection, and allowing deep draft ships to use the port.

She now lays on her port side on a silty bottom of 27 meters. Prominent features include the forward and aft 8” guns, the rear mast, and the starboard screw. For Wreck Divers the gun deck provides a mild penetration dive with several visible exits. Advanced Wreck divers have several options for entry/exit points, getting down to 35m inside, and making for a great culmination dive for the course. You can expect to see large schools of jacks and fusiliers as well as nudibranchs, snapper, sweetlips and the occasional turtle or eagle ray. Since it’s so close to the port, visibility can be challenging at times, but usually averages between 3-7m, occasionally getting up to 15m.

Japanese Patrol Boat 

History: This 42-meter-long vessel was used by the Japanese Navy to patrol inside Subic Bay during WWII. The Japanese Patrol Boat is believed to have been sunk by US Navy dive bombers shortly before the Marines liberated Subic. There is evidence of a large blast on her starboard side near the bow. She hosts a variety of marine life and is covered with hard and soft corals. Wreck penetration has not been possible for several years due to structural collapse caused by several earthquakes in the area.

Landing Ship Tank (LST-559)

History: Able to beach herself and off-load troops and mechanized vehicles, the 100-meter LST-559 was utilized by the US Navy in the Pacific Theater from 1944 to 1946. She participated in the island-hopping campaign, earning 4 battle stars for capture and occupation of Palau, Leyte, Lingayan Gulf, and Okinawa. After the war, she was decommissioned and later scuttled (1947) in Subic Bay to extend the natural breakwater.

She now lies upright on a sandy bottom between Grande Island and Cubi Point. While it was once possible to penetrate this wreck, recent damage from earthquakes have taken its toll and it is no longer consider safe to roam her passageways. She is home to many fish including fusiliers, barracuda, batfish, scorpion fish, lionfish and more. Turtles and eagle rays have been known to make appearances. She has a resident electric clam and a very shy but large marbled grouper. In all, the LST is one the most requested “repeat” dives due to her scale and photo/video opportunities. We highly recommend using Nitrox to extend your bottom time and get better appreciation of the entire wreck. Visibility is usually 10-15m but it has been over 20m on rare occasions.

Concrete Wreck (YON-146)

History: Built during times where steel was in limited supply, concrete barges were built to carry mostly bulk fuel. Although they appeared to be ships, they were pulled by tugs and had no power of their own. They are more accurately “ferrocement” barges consisting of cement mortar reinforced with steel wire mesh.

YON-146 was built in National City, California in 1943 and is the largest known wreck in the bay at 115m in length. It was towed all around the Pacific and was even involved in Operation Ivy Mike (testing of the hydrogen bomb in Bikini Atoll in 1952) but don’t worry, it was never exposed to radiation. It sank in an accident in 1957 but little details of the incident are known. It rests upright on a silty bottom between 33 to 37 meters. Due to its proximity to the mouth of the Santa Rita (Kalaklan) River, it has been slowly filling with silt and the visibility can be challenging. It’s rarely dived, but the corals and schools of fish make for some interesting photography.

Upside-down LCU

History: Little is known about this LCU other than the general info listed above. It was discovered in 2013 and rests upside down and in two pieces on a sandy bottom near Grande Island. The visibility is usually decent at 10-15 meters. It’s home to several schools of fish as well as a few ribbon eels. Blue spotted rays are seen quite often. With a bit of preplanning dive times can be prolonged by swimming due east off the wreck for a few minutes and running into the canyons of Grande Island. After a casual ascent to shallower waters the boat will happily pick you up near the island.

The Lanikai

History: This wooden-hulled schooner-rigged motor yacht has a long and varied history. She was built in 1914 in Oakland, California for a German trading company and sailed under the name MY Hermes. In 1917, while ported in Hawaii, she was seized by the US Navy under Executive Order and was commissioned as the USS Hermes the following year. She was utilized mainly as a submarine patrol vessel but also served doing search and rescue, wildlife surveys, and collecting intel on the enemy. She was decommissioned in 1919 and used by the Hawaiian government and Pacific Air Detachment. In 1926, she was sold to the Lanikai Fish company and officially name the Lanikai. Over the next few years, she was sold to several companies and even made an appearance in the 1937 MGM film The Hurricane before eventually in 1939 to a company in Manila. In 1941 she was acquired once again by the US Navy but never fully commissioned. In late 1941 she fled the Philippines and served and was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy where she served for most of WW2. After the war, she was returned to the original owner in Manila but was in extremely poor condition.

While still undergoing much needed repairs in Subic Bay she sank during a typhoon in 1947 where she sat until being rediscovered in 2003. She lies broken apart in approximately 36 meters on a silty bottom near the Cubi Point runway. Visibilty can be quite challenging in this location and use of a reel to the shot line is strongly suggested.

USS Banaang (YT-104)

History: Also known as the Steam Tug, the Banaang is another seldomly dived wreck of Subic Bay. Built in Hong Kong in 1911, she served the Naval Station Olongapo. She was believed to be destroyed on Christmas day of 1941 during the Japanese Occupation. Her 3-Pound gun had been removed and given to the 4th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Bataan.

While her 29-meter hull has mostly been destroyed, her remnants are still in place on a sandy bottom at 36 meters. She is known as a great macro photography dive, having several species of shrimp, nudibranchs, eels and rays.

Kosco 202

History: The Kosco 202 was an ocean-going pusher tug with a 52-meter hull. Built in Japan in 1977 and eventually sold to South Korea, she sailed under several names : Kobe Maru (1984), Pioneer Star (1991), Hayatomo Maru No. 3 (2007), Kum Jo 5000 (2008), and Kosko 202CL (2012). In August of 2012, while towing a barge north of Subic Bay, she ran into heavy seas caused by Typhoon Saola. The 5-6 meter waves overwhelmed the barge causing it to sink as the tug’s engine room began to flood. The crew of 7 abandoned ship into the vessel’s life raft and were quickly rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard.

She now rests upside down in Nagsasa Bay, a bit north of Subic Bay. Her keel is at 39 meters and her deck reaches the bottom at 52 meters. Visibility is usually clear at 15-20 meters or more. She’s too new to have much coral growth but several species of fish are already making a home out of her. Her twin propellers have been salvaged from both shrouds and you can see the barge lines stretching out from her stern. Penetration is possible by descending to the bottom, entering and ascending into the cabins. Since this is a relatively new wreck, only a few clearing efforts have been made. Therefore, it must be stressed that there are fishing lines, electric cables, and other entanglement hazards everywhere inside the wreck. The utmost caution must be used for penetration dives on the tug.

Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM)

History: Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM), also known as Landing Craft Mechanical, emerged as a vital asset during World War II, primarily utilized for transporting vehicles. Their significance soared during Allied amphibious operations in Europe, where they played pivotal roles in landing troops and tanks onto enemy shores. With various designs crafted by both the UK and US, and produced by multiple manufacturers, these vessels, affectionately dubbed "Mike Boats" or "M Boats," numbered an impressive 8,631 between 1942 and 1945.

Recently, a compelling discovery has stirred the depths of the inner Subic Bay—an enigmatic wreck whose exact location remains undisclosed. Unearthed by Sea Scan Survey, this find holds a sense of mystery, believed to have eluded local divers' awareness until now.

Banshu Maru (IJN Minesweeper No.52)

History: Built in 1921, the Banshu Maru was originally a 40-meter fishing trawler but was converted to a Japanese auxiliary minesweeper in 1940. She reported for duty in Subic Bay on January 17th, 1942. Just three days after her arrival she struck a mine while performing her duties causing her to sink on the deep channel side of Grande Island. She lies upright in 55 meters of water on a sandy bottom. The Banshu is a popular wreck among tech divers and is often used as a culmination dive for the Tec-50 course.

Kyo Maru (IJN Class 10 Anti-Submarine Vessel)

History: The Kyo Maru was sunk by a US Air Force P-40 'Warhawk' a short distance outside of Subic Bay in 1942. The Kyo Maru was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to identify and attack submarines. The wreck offers a fascinating dive with lots of features to explore and discover.