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USS Peacock Wreck

The USS Peacock isn't your average California wreck dive. This isn't some purpose-sunk vessel lying upright for easy viewing. No, the Peacock is a proper working wreck, a much older wooden steamer broken up and scattered across the seabed off Catalina. We love that you really have to hunt for the story here, piecing together the broken timbers, the odd piece of machinery, and the scattered plates. It’s a treasure hunt. The real draw for us, though, is the sheer density of marine life that has claimed this wreckage as its own. Giant black sea bass, often in numbers, patrol the larger sections, their massive bodies dwarfing divers. Expect to find sheephead, kelp bass, and plenty of smaller critters tucked into every crevice. Our favourite approach is to drop in the morning, when the light filters down through the kelp, making the scattered timbers glow with an eerie green. Surge can be a factor here, so pick a calm day. It’s a dive for those who appreciate history and the power of nature to reclaim what's lost, not for pristine, intact wrecks.