GLEN MACWILLIAM - Vava'u Group
We love a good wreck, and the Glen MacWilliam is a corker, especially if you’re into a bit of history with your dive. She’s a decent sized steamship, 115 metres long, sunk after a copra fire back in the day, though we hear the chromium ore cargo she was carrying is worth a fortune now. The wreck sits at 40 metres, making it a dive for those comfortable with deeper profiles. Descending onto the Glen MacWilliam, you really get a sense of her scale. The bow comes into view first, then the huge superstructure looming out of the blue. You can spend a good chunk of your bottom time just circumnavigating her, marvelling at how completely the reef has taken hold. Schools of fusiliers swirl around the mast, so thick they occasionally block the light, and we've spotted resident trevally patrolling the decks. The cargo holds are open, offering some intriguing swim-throughs, but watch your buoyancy – it’s easy to stir up the silt. We'd suggest going early in the morning for the best visibility and fewer other divers. This site is a proper deep wreck dive, great for experienced divers who appreciate history and don’t mind a bit of a current sometimes.
- Location
- Vava'u Group, Tonga, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -18.650000, -174.066670
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 40m
Marine Protected Area: 'Utungake SMA
Best Time to Dive in Vava'u Group
The warmest water temperatures in Vava'u Group occur in January, averaging 27.8°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.8°C (air: 27.0°C)
- February: 27.8°C (air: 26.9°C)
- March: 27.8°C (air: 27.1°C)
- April: 27.8°C (air: 26.8°C)
- May: 27.8°C (air: 26.1°C)
- June: 27.8°C (air: 25.1°C)
- July: 27.8°C (air: 24.6°C)
- August: 27.8°C (air: 24.0°C)
- September: 27.8°C (air: 24.5°C)
- October: 27.8°C (air: 24.9°C)
- November: 27.8°C (air: 25.7°C)
- December: 27.8°C (air: 26.5°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Vava'u Group
- AX Factor Dive House Reef (wreck)
- AX Factor Dive House Reef (reef)
- CLAN MACWILLIAM - 30m (wreck)
- Clown fish city
- FANTASY - 10m (wreck)
- Fingers (cave)
- Historic Dive Wreck Clan Mc William (reef)
- Mariner's Cave - 3-8m (cave)
- Playground - 20m
- Swallows Cave - 3-12m (cave)
- The Arch - 10-25m (reef)
- Twin caves
Nearest Dive Centres to GLEN MACWILLIAM
Marine Life in Vava'u Group
Home to 322 recorded species including 300 reef fish, 9 sea cucumbers, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 sharks & rays, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 hard corals.
Notable Species
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Schlegel's Parrotfish (Scarus schlegeli) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Rivulated Parrotfish (Scarus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Bleeker's Parrotfish (Chlorurus bleekeri) - Reef Fish
- Halfmoon triggerfish (Sufflamen chrysopterum) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
- Kihikihi (Zanclus cornutus) - Reef Fish
- Atoll Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mertensii) - Reef Fish
- Hoeven's wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) - Reef Fish
- Clown Tang (Naso lituratus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma lutescens) - Reef Fish
- Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa) - Reef Fish
- Bandcheek wrasse (Oxycheilinus digramma) - Reef Fish
- Desjardin's Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma velifer) - Reef Fish
- Redfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for GLEN MACWILLIAM
Based on average water temperature of 27.8°C.
- 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