SS President Coolidge Shipwreck Portal

Historical Narration

On October 26, 1942, the SS President Coolidge — carrying 5,340 American troops — struck two friendly mines while approaching the harbour at Espiritu Santo. Captain Henry Nelson ran the ship aground on a coral reef, allowing nearly all aboard to escape. The ship slid off the reef and sank, coming to rest on her port side at depths ranging from 20 to 70 metres. Today, she is one of the largest and most accessible wreck dives in the world, attracting divers from across the globe to Espiritu Santo, Santo, Vanuatu.