Thorndike Shoal - Alaska

The Wreck Trail, down in Western Australia's south, is one of those sites we always recommend for divers who appreciate a bit of history with their hose time. It’s less about a single, monumental wreck and more about a scatter of older vessels, all broken up and spread across the seafloor. What you get are these fantastic pockets of structure, the ribs of old wooden boats and rusted metal plates, each piece now a home for something. We love drifting along, peering into the shadows cast by a collapsed hull, often finding a curious frogfish hunkered down, or a widebody pipefish camouflaged against the rust. Visibility can be a bit variable depending on the swell, but even on an average day, the sheer density of life clinging to these remains is impressive. Schools of Yellow-eye Mullet will often swirl around the larger sections, and we’ve seen Green Turtles grazing in the nearby seagrass beds. It’s a site that rewards a slow, deliberate dive, really looking at the details. Best to hit it on a calm day; even a slight chop on the surface can stir things up a bit below. It’s not a deep dive, making it perfect for extending your bottom time and just soaking in the atmosphere of these old ships giving back to the ocean.

Location

Alaska, United States, North America

Coordinates

51.309370, -127.843920

Type

wreck