USS Gambier Bay - Visayas
The USS Gambier Bay, lying in the Visayas, is a genuine piece of history on the seabed, and we love a wreck with a story. This isn't some pristine, intact museum piece; it’s a scattered, broken giant, testament to the battle that sank her in 1944. What you’ll find is a vast debris field, parts of the escort carrier spread across the bottom. We’ve spent dives just trying to comprehend the scale, picking out massive structural beams, twisted metal plates, and then smaller, more identifiable components if you’re patient enough to search. It’s the sheer size of the wreck and the historical weight that makes it special. Penetration isn’t really the draw here – it’s more about exploring the external chaos. Schools of yellowfin tuna often patrol the outer edges, ghosting past the skeletal remains. Inside the more sheltered nooks, you’ll spot lionfish fanning their fins, and we’ve seen some seriously large groupers making homes out of the deeper sections. This site is definitely for divers who appreciate the past, who can look beyond a pretty reef and see the narrative in the twisted metal. Bring your wide-angle lens, because even in its broken state, the Gambier Bay is an impressive sight.
- Location
- Visayas, Philippines, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 11.767000, 126.150000
- Type
- wreck
Best Time to Dive in Visayas
The warmest water temperatures in Visayas 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: 23.3°C)
- February: 27.8°C (air: 23.3°C)
- March: 27.8°C (air: 24.2°C)
- April: 27.8°C (air: 25.3°C)
- May: 27.8°C (air: 25.7°C)
- June: 27.8°C (air: 24.8°C)
- July: 27.8°C (air: 24.7°C)
- August: 27.8°C (air: 24.9°C)
- September: 27.8°C (air: 24.8°C)
- October: 27.8°C (air: 24.4°C)
- November: 27.8°C (air: 24.3°C)
- December: 27.8°C (air: 23.7°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Visayas
- 1
- 19 - 5m (wreck)
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Abaca House Reef - 14m (reef)
- Adrian's Cove - 22m (reef)
- Alegre reef (reef)
- Anda
- ASIA INDONESIA (POSSIBLY) - 11m (wreck)
- Bagacawa Point - 11m
- Bamboo Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Bantegue Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Baring - 23m (reef)
- BUTUAN - 10m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to USS Gambier Bay
Marine Life in Visayas
Home to 577 recorded species including 463 reef fish, 24 sharks & rays, 21 hard corals, 19 sea snails & nudibranchs, 14 sea cucumbers, 9 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Scarlet wrasse (Pseudocheilinus evanidus) - Reef Fish
- Blacktip Ponyfish (Eubleekeria splendens) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Toby (Canthigaster valentini) - Reef Fish
- Comettailed wrasse (Oxycheilinus bimaculatus) - Reef Fish
- Angel abu polos (Centropyge vrolikii) - Reef Fish
- Six-line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Sleek Unicornfish (Naso hexacanthus) - Reef Fish
- Barred Unicornfish (Naso thynnoides) - Reef Fish
- Bloodspot pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-scaled wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma hardwicke) - Reef Fish
- Blackspine Unicornfish (Naso minor) - Reef Fish
- Crescent Grunter (Terapon jarbua) - Reef Fish
- Blenny (Istiblennius dussumieri) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for USS Gambier Bay
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