BANGOS & DALAG
Protected Area
Cu Mong
Why dive here
With 176+ marine species recorded in the area - including giant moray eels, sea turtles and pufferfish - BANGOS & DALAG offers some of Nha Trang's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 25-30°C, warmest May, June, September.
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.
Typical BANGOS & DALAG Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Maximum depth 60m exceeds recreational limits (40m). Technical diving certification and equipment required.
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
BANGOS & DALAG Wreck History
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.
Reviews for BANGOS & DALAG
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for BANGOS & DALAG
BANGOS & DALAG Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for BANGOS & DALAG, sourced from Copernicus Marine satellite data
August Averages
Sea Temperature
29.66°C
85°F
Current Speed
3 cm/s
Direction: E (90°)
Chlorophyll-a
0.108 mg/m³
Clear water
Salinity
32.98 PSU
Data sources: Copernicus Marine Service (EU)
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