wreck

Log This Dive

VAN CAMP NO 1

The *Van Camp No 1* isn't just a sunken fishing boat, it’s a time capsule. This 48-meter tuna clipper, grounded during Cyclone Bebe in 1972, lies remarkably intact, right on Funafuti’s main lagoon beach. We love that you can literally walk up to it, fins in hand, and descend straight into its ghostly embrace. This is a wreck dive for everyone, especially if you're keen on exploring a piece of history without the usual depth challenges. We’ve spent hours here, tracing the outline of the stern, imagining the chaos of that storm. The shallow depth means sunlight floods the interior, illuminating schools of small baitfish that swirl through the holds like liquid silver. Look closely amongst the twisted metal and you'll spot resident moray eels peeking from crevices, and we’ve even come across a curious reef shark or two patrolling the bow. Our favourite part? Seeing how the local kids use it as a playground, diving and jumping off the exposed sections at high tide. It makes the wreck feel alive, not just a relic. Dive it at high tide for the best visibility inside the hull, and keep an eye out for the colourful nudibranchs colonising the rust-encrusted plating.