Page 396 - Melanesia

SS PRESIDENT COOLIDGE: The President a woman and a unicorn, which is in what was
Coolidge is arguably the most sought after once the ‘Smoking Room’. Most divers give
dive wreck in the world. It’s an accessible and her a kiss for luck before heading back to the
spectacular dive. Sunk in 1942 off Santo, the surface and reality. The dive is so accessible
200 meter luxury liner turned troop carrier because the Captain of the ship, after it hit a
still contains jeeps, guns, gas masks, tools, mine, purposely ran it aground to save the
crockery toiletries and other bits and pieces. crew, which was pretty much the case. Only
It’s also home to millions of fish including two men died. The death toll could have been
‘Boris’ a 200kg groper that has lived on the higher because the ship was on such a tilt
wreck for nearly a quarter of a century. The the lifeboats were out of reach. As most of
Coolidge wreck is so big there are over a the dives are over 30 meters, decompression
dozen individual dive options. Recently divers stops are necessary. These stops are made on
have undertaken a restoration program to the coral garden where you can see a colorful
give the grand ship a much-needed clean, array of hard corals and fish life. The night
scraping and cleaning areas in the engine dive is awesome, with flashlight fish lighting
room, dining rooms, toilets, the galley and up the cargo holds lobby and bow. The night
one of the swimming pools. The centerpiece dives are recounted among divers for years
is ‘The Lady’ – a beautiful porcelain statue of and seldom forgotten.