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WRECKS OF MIDWAY ATOLL
| There are several wreck sites at Midway that divers are able to
visit. Some are rumored to exist but have not been located yet
while others are in water too rough or shallow for safe diving.
Unfortunately all the ships lost during the actual Battle of Midway rest
several thousand feet deep and about 100 miles to the north. |
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F4U CORSAIR AIRPLANE WRECK
116 feet
Advanced
Inverted fuselage and
wings of a U.S. Navy fighter that collided in mid-air during a training mission
in 1943. It rests upon a sandy bottom 200 feet west of a mooring and underwater
telephone cable, making this an advanced dive with limited bottom time. The
wreck is home to many rare species including Hawaiian Longfin Anthias, Japanese
Angelfish, Psychedelic Wrasse, Bluespotted Scorpionfish, Schlegel’s Grouper,
Whitemargined and Dragon Morays, Lobster, and more. Large Wahoo, or Ono,
may be seen above the wreck during safety stops. Subject to current. Ten minutes
from the harbor.
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USS MACAW (ASR-11)
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20 to 60 feet
Intermediate
Remnants of a 250 foot
Submarine Tender in the main channel. The scenic bow lays at an angle over
sand and rock in 25 feet of water. A mass of steel plates and pipes extend to
the stern at 55 feet. The ship ran aground in 1944 while salvaging a submarine
where the Water Barge now rests. After a large storm, the Macaw was swept
into deeper water 100 meters west of the Water Barge. It too can only be visited
during calm days at high tide. Titan Scorpionfish, Spiny Lobster, Yellowbar
Parrotfish, Hawaiian Morwongs, and Moray Eels are common here.
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| Ran aground in 1944 during the salvage of the submarine, USS
Flier. Three weeks later on February 13, the Macaw capsized and
slid into the main channel
during a fierce winter storm. Five sailors were lost at se.
Her captain LCDR
P. W. Burton took the only remaining lifejacket which didn't have
straps and went down with the ship.
The wreck was demolished by divers to clear the channel,
leaving only the bow intact at 30 feet. The twisted remains of the
ship provide shelter for many species of marine life and the
current-swept channel hosts mantas, eagle rays, and countless
sharks. The ship's anchors and rudder are located atop the shallow
reef between the bow and the Water Barge. The wreck site and
channel are normally rough and can only be dived a few times a month.
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WATER BARGE
12 to 20 feet
Intermediate
A dive around this
partially submerged Ferro-cement water supply barge is only possible during calm
conditions at high tide. It broke free of its towline in 1957 and is a prominent
landmark on Midway’s south reef. It
is an excellent subject for wide-angle photography, with sunlight streaming
through numerous "windows" in addition to a massive amount of
schooling chubs, goatfishes, and flagtails. Rare fishes include large Barred and
Spotted Knifejaws, and Green Sea Turtles. Five minutes from the harbor and
accessed from the U.S.S.Macaw mooring buoy.
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| The ferro-cement Water Barge ran aground in the 1950's and rests in 15
feet of water just east of the USS Macaw. The crumbling remains of
the barge extend 20 feet above the sea and serve as a landmark to the
main channel. Huge schools of fish inhabit the wreck and deck gear
and anchors are strewn about the surrounding reef. |
TRASH BARGE (removed 2001)
| This vessel was abandoned on the south shore next to the 'Bulky Dump'
fill area. The sharp rusting hulk was completely dismantled in
2001 to prevent monk seal injury/entrapment. |
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