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USS Aaron Ward (Wreck)

The USS Aaron Ward is a truly special dive, one we always look forward to when we’re in Iron Bottom Sound. She’s a big wreck, lying on her port side at 61 metres, and she’s absolutely covered in life. We love finning along her hull, watching black triggerfish dart between the honeycombs of coral that have grown on the plating, and spotting stout red shrimp tucked into crevices. The scale of the Aaron Ward is what really gets you; you can spend an entire dive just exploring the bow or the stern, seeing how the deck guns and torpedo tubes have become encrusted. Visibility here is often a solid 20 metres, sometimes more, which is great for appreciating her full length. We’d suggest a slack tide dive to avoid any strong currents, making the penetration into some of the more open areas, like the engine room, much smoother. You’ll often see schools of trevally and barracuda circling above the mast, and if you’re lucky, a grey reef shark might cruise by in the mid-water. It’s a site for experienced wreck divers, definitely, but one that rewards the effort.