While many wrecks are accessible to recreational divers, actually going inside wrecks requires an advanced open water certification. You can also do additional training specifically for wrecks. You need to have excellent buoyancy control and be extremely aware of your feet, hands, and gear at all times, so you don’t stir up silt and dirt that can make visibility near zero. It’s also important not to touch wrecks as they’re extremely fragile, which means being able to move your body through tight, oddly shaped spaces without making contact with the ship. Navigation is key, and you need to be comfortable with dark, tight spaces and carry at least two lights on your body. The hazards of wreck diving aren’t always obvious — silt, limited access to the surface, and entanglement risks from fishing lines or exposed metal can pose serious dangers for untrained divers.
But for divers who do have those skills, going into wrecks can be one of the coolest, eeriest, and most unique ways to explore the past. Wreck diving also makes for pretty cool underwater photos, and is an excellent option for when visibility isn’t ideal for activities like reef diving. There’s also something just plain fascinating about swimming through an upside down ship from a century ago, wouldn’t you say?
We’ve recommended below some of the most popular and most convenient places to stay (mostly dive resorts) in each destination. Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay.
Photo: J.S. Lamy/Shutterstock
Bermuda is home to more than 300 shipwrecks, earning its reputation as one of the world’s top wreck diving destinations. In fact, the famous “Bermuda Triangle” isn’t a supernatural force — it’s the geography. The island’s treacherous reefs, which rise suddenly from deep water, have claimed vessels from the 1600s to the 20th century, leaving behind well-preserved wrecks in shallow, clear waters. Many wrecks in Bermuda are at depths of less than 80 feet, accessible to most recreational divers.
Notable sites include the Cristóbal Colón, a massive Spanish liner that sank in 1936, and the Hermes, an intentionally sunk US Navy buoy tender resting upright at 80 feet. Bermuda’s warm Gulf Stream waters and lack of strong currents allow for extended bottom times and excellent visibility, often exceeding 100 feet. With a mix of wooden schooners, steamships, and wartime vessels, Bermuda offers some of the most visually stunning wreck dives in the Atlantic. Wreck diving is by far Bermuda’s bread and butter, so even if you don’t request to do a wreck dive, you almost certainly will.
Chuuk Lagoon, formerly Truk Lagoon, is one of the world’s most significant wreck diving destinations, holding the remains of more than 60 Japanese warships, submarines, and aircraft from World War II. It was the site of Operation Hailstone, a 1944 US-led aerial attack that sank much of Japan’s Pacific fleet. That left behind a vast underwater battlefield, though it also means many of the wrecks are in deeper water (between 90 and 200 feet), making them only appropriate for advanced, mixed gas, and rebreather divers. Chuuk doesn’t have much in the way of luxury resorts, but the few accommodations it does have are very dive-focused.
What makes Chuuk’s wrecks especially fascinating is that they still hold what was onboard when the ships sank, including tanks, vehicles, mines, and artillery. Chuuk is a world-class destination for dedicated divers, but it’s hard to reach. You’ll have to take an island hopper flight from Guam, offered by United Airlines only. It’s often delayed, and will add a day or two to your travels so plan for trips of at least two weeks.
Palau is a remote paradise in the western Pacific, and like Chuuk, it’s renowned for its spectacular wreck diving. Unlike Chuuk, Palau offers more hotels and amenities on land, and many of its wrecks lie in shallower water, thanks to the lagoon surrounding the capital, Koror. The most famous wreck is probably Jake’s Seaplane, a propeller plane almost entirely intact in shallow water, making for ideal photography conditions. Other wrecks you can reach ion quick day trips include the Iro Maru — so large you’ll want to dive it more than once — and the Amatsu Maru, which is even larger than the Iro Maru.
Further out, you’ll find more unique diving opportunities, including the chance to dive in once-a-month deep-water snapper spawning and snorkel in Jellyfish Lake in Palau’s Rock Islands. It has hundreds of non-stinging jellyfish, making it perfect for a unique, safe swim among these fascinating creatures. (Note that Jellyfish Lake is ecologically sensitive and can periodically close — never try to visit when it’s off-limits.) When you do visit, follow all the rules about rinsing your snorkel gear, and wear a long-sleeve sun shirt instead of sunscreen to keep chemicals out of the lake.
Photos: lego 19861111/Shutterstock. DAAgius/Shutterstock, and Imagine Earth Photography/Shutterstock
Malta is one of the top wreck diving destinations in the Mediterranean, with a high concentration of sunken ships, planes, and submarines scattered around its coastline. The island’s clear waters, easy shore access, and deep natural harbors have made it a strategic military location for centuries, leaving behind wrecks from World War II and the Cold War for divers, as well as more recent intentionally sunk ships to serve as artificial reefs. Many wrecks are between 30 to 130 feet deep.
Shore diving is particularly popular, with several wrecks accessible directly from the coastline, while deeper sites require boat access. Malta’s consistent diving conditions (allowing for 5mm wetsuits year round), warm summer waters, and strong diving infrastructure make it one of the most accessible (and impressive) wreck diving destinations in Europe.
North Carolina, often called the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” is one of the best wreck diving destinations in the US, with hundreds of sunken ships spanning centuries. Its wrecks include WWII U-boats, freighters, Civil War-era vessels, and even modern artificial reefs. Depths typically range from 60 to 130 feet, so while you can visit as a recreational diver, you’ll have many more wrecks available to you if you get your advanced certification, too. North Carolina wreck dives are particularly known for the local residents: sand tiger sharks are frequent visitors, offering the creepy-but-also-amazing chance to encounter sharks while exploring shipwrecks.
Most dive trips depart from Morehead City, Beaufort, or Wilmington, with operators running tours to wreck sites along the Outer Banks. The diving season runs from May to October, and you’ll need to decide what matters more: warmer water or better weather conditions. The waters are coldest early in the dive season, but the threat of hurricanes is less than it is in late summer and fall. Dive shops will reschedule or relocate dives if poor weather is expected, but it can still impact how many dive days you get during your trip. The water is generally cold at depth, so wear a 7mm wetsuit or rent a drysuit.
A wreck in Sint Maarten, Dutch Caribbean. Photo: timsimages.uk/Shutterstock
