Gavutu F4F Wildcat (Wreck)
Protected Area
Tulagi Island
Why dive here
With 391+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, humpback whales and orcas - Gavutu F4F Wildcat (Wreck) offers some of Iron Bottom Sound's richest reef diving. Water ranges 29-31°C, warmest January, April, December.
The Gavutu Wildcat is one of those wrecks that really connects you to the history of Iron Bottom Sound. It’s thought to be the plane flown by legendary ace James Swett, ditched after a hell of a dogfight. We find it lying on a sandy, silty bottom at 25m, largely intact despite the propellor missing and the engine cowling having tumbled off. Our favourite time to dive it is definitely at slack tide; the visibility averages 12m, but any current really stirs up the silt. You’ll find trevally and snapper circling the airframe, and if you’re lucky, the resident painted crayfish will peek out from the starboard undercarriage. We always spend time exploring the cockpit, imagining the chaos. It’s a dive that’s more about the narrative than vibrant corals, perfect for divers who appreciate a quiet reflection with some cool pelagics.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Gavutu F4F Wildcat (Wreck)
Gavutu F4F Wildcat (Wreck) Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Gavutu F4F Wildcat (Wreck), sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-9.03, 159.16) (58km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
30°C
85°F · Range: 28.7–30.5°C
Air Temperature
27°C
80°F
Wind Speed
3.74 m/s
7.3 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1010.5 hPa
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data
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