wreck

Log This Dive

El Capitan (USS Majaba)

El Capitan, the USS Majaba, is a wreck we always look forward to diving in Subic. Sitting upright at a flat 20 metres, it's a perfect intermediate dive; deep enough to feel like a proper wreck, shallow enough to let you linger. We love dropping down onto the huge cargo holds, often finding a pair of resident lionfish tucked into a corner, just waiting for a photo op. The sheer size of the Majaba is what gets us every time. This isn’t some small boat. You can spend your entire bottom time exploring just one section, pushing through the superstructure or peering into the massive open holds that once stored military hardware. Schools of batfish often hang motionless above the deck, occasionally swirling as you approach. Look closely at the hull and you’ll spot nudibranchs, usually a few different varieties, slowly making their way across the barnacle-encrusted metal. Our favourite section has to be the stern, where the prop shaft housing offers a natural overhang for all sorts of critters. Dive this one in the morning if you can, before the bay gets too busy, and you might just have the old girl all to yourself.