BANGOS & DALAG - Nha Trang

Bangos & Dalag. This isn't your pristine, perfectly preserved wreck. No, this tug vessel, sunk back in '68, is more of a skeleton now, spread across the seabed in two main sections. We love it precisely because of that decay. It’s a proper historical site, tangled and encrusted, letting you imagine the rough seas that dragged it down. You'll start by dropping onto the larger section, often the stern, with its propeller still identifiable. Look closely, and you'll spot moray eels tucked into every crevice, their heads peeking out. Then, it's a swim across a sandy patch to the bow, which sits upright, more recognisably ship-like. The currents here can be a bit tricky, so we always suggest timing your dive for slack tide. What really makes Bangos & Dalag for us is the sheer volume of schooling fish. Barracuda often hang in shimmering clouds above the wreck. On one dive, we drifted over a school of jacks so dense, it felt like swimming through a silver curtain. It’s a site for divers who appreciate history, the beauty of decay, and a healthy dose of pelagic action, rather than just pretty corals.

Location
Nha Trang, Vietnam, Southeast Asia
Coordinates
13.666667, 109.366670
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
60m

Wreck History - BANGOS & DALAG

Year Sunk
1968
Vessel Type
tugboat
Cause
storm

The story of the tugboat Bangos & Dalag is a brief but compelling one, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. In January 1968, the vessel was being transported, under tow by another ship named the 'Grenadier', when disaster struck. The powerful forces of the sea proved too much, and on January 14th, the Bangos & Dalag was lost, sinking deep into the waters off Nha Trang.

Resting at a depth of 60 meters, this wreck is strictly for experienced technical divers with the training for deep, decompression diving. For those qualified to make the descent, the Bangos & Dalag offers a haunting sight. As a relatively small and compact vessel, it's possible the tug is still largely intact, sitting upright on the seabed. In the deep, quiet waters, it has transformed into a unique habitat, likely colonized by deep-water corals and home to large groupers and other pelagic species that patrol the depths.

Marine Protected Area: Cu Mong

Best Time to Dive in Nha Trang

The warmest water temperatures in Nha Trang occur in May, averaging 30.5°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 25.4°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 25.4°C
  • February: 25.8°C
  • March: 27.4°C
  • April: 29.5°C
  • May: 30.5°C
  • June: 30.2°C
  • July: 29.7°C
  • August: 29.7°C
  • September: 30.3°C
  • October: 30.1°C
  • November: 28.1°C
  • December: 26.2°C

Nearby Dive Sites in Nha Trang

Nearest Dive Centres to BANGOS & DALAG

Marine Life in Nha Trang

Home to 182 recorded species including 175 reef fish, 6 seagrass & algae, 1 other.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for BANGOS & DALAG

Based on average water temperature of 28.6°C, currents 3 cm/s.

  • Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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