Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando - Exuma Cays
We’re big fans of a good airplane wreck, and the Curtiss C-46 in the Exumas is one of our favourites. It’s a proper historical piece, sitting upright on the sand, and despite its age, it holds its shape really well. You can still make out the cockpit, the cargo hold, and even parts of the tail section, which makes for some great swim-throughs if you're comfortable with wreck penetration. The C-46 has become a home to so much life. Schools of schoolmaster snapper hang out in the fuselage, sometimes so thick you can barely see through them. We’ve spotted green turtles resting on the wings more than once, just chilling. Look closely and you’ll find plenty of blennies-rosy blennies are all over the place, and we’ve even seen the odd roughhead triplefin tucked into crevices. The sand around the wreck also holds its own secrets, with various gobies peeking out. It’s a site that really rewards a slow, observant dive. We’d suggest going in the morning; the light filtering through the water and into the wreck is something else.
- Location
- Exuma Cays, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 24.594461, -76.809770
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park
Best Time to Dive in Exuma Cays
The warmest water temperatures in Exuma Cays occur in August, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 24.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 24.7°C
- February: 24.7°C
- March: 25.1°C
- April: 26.4°C
- May: 27.6°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 30.2°C
- August: 30.4°C
- September: 30.1°C
- October: 29.1°C
- November: 27.4°C
- December: 25.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Exuma Cays
- Amberjack Reef (reef)
- Austin Smith Wreck (wreck)
- BAHAMAS DRAKE - 9m (wreck)
- Blacktip Wall - 27m (wall)
- Dog Rocks
- Exuma Cays - 5-30m (reef)
- Exumas Diving: Great Diversity, Magical Scenery... and Pigs
- Highborn Kew Wall - 15-40m (wall)
- How to Dive the Exumas
- Jeep Reef - 5-15m (reef)
- Lobster No Lobster - 10m
- Normans Key Cut - 5-20m (channel)
- Pillar Wall - 25m (wall)
- Smuggler’s Plane - 8m (wreck)
- The Austin Smith (Wreck) - 18m (wreck)
Marine Life in Exuma Cays
Home to 353 recorded species including 307 reef fish, 12 hard corals, 11 whales & dolphins, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 sharks & rays, 3 other.
Notable Species
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Common lionfish (Pterois volitans) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) - Hard Corals
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Boulder Brain Coral (Colpophyllia natans) - Hard Corals
- Fire coral (Millepora complanata) - Jellyfish
- Tripod Spiderfish (Bathypterois grallator) - Reef Fish
- Tiger Grouper (Mycteroperca tigris) - Reef Fish
- Fire coral (Millepora alcicornis) - Jellyfish
- lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) - Sharks & Rays
- Conklin's cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx conklini) - Reef Fish
- Rosy Blenny (Malacoctenus macropus) - Reef Fish
- Maze Coral (Meandrina meandrites) - Hard Corals
- Blushing Star Coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta) - Hard Corals
- Saddled Blenny (Malacoctenus triangulatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
Based on average water temperature of 27.6°C, currents 8 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories