While some divers might struggle to pinpoint Vanuatu on a world map, navigating its underwater treasures has never been easier. Thanks to a new initiative by the Vanuatu Tourism Office to highlight the archipelago’s exceptional dive and snorkel sites, five historic underwater sites around the northern island of Espiritu Santo have been digitized into interactive 3D models. Commissioned in October 2026, Reef Smart developed detailed 3D models for the region’s most iconic dive locations, including the world-famous SS President Coolidge.
Widely considered the crown jewel of Vanuatu diving, the Coolidge was a luxury liner turned WWII troop carrier that sank after striking an American mine. Resting on its side just a short swim from shore, it holds the title of the largest shore-accessible shipwreck in the world. While fully exploring the massive structure in person can take dozens of dives, it is now possible to tour the wreck in its entirety online. The 3D model captures the adjacent shoreline along with shore-entry points used by local operators Pacific Dive and Allan Power Dive Tours, as well as the site’s three primary mooring buoys used by boat operators like Aore Adventure Sports and Lodge.
Just down the coast sits Million Dollar Point, a site that rivals the Coolidge in popularity. Named after the “million dollars” worth of U.S. military equipment dumped into the ocean at the end of WWII, the location features a sprawling underwater tangle of bulldozers, diggers, trucks, forklifts, as well as smaller items like vintage glass bottles and mess hall utensils. The 3D model details every contour of this complex site down to a depth of 120 feet (36 meters). It also highlights two distinct shipwrecks within the site: an unnamed hull sitting in just 20 feet (6 meters) of water, and the MV Dedele, a coastal transport vessel resting on a steep incline at 40 feet (12 meters).
Further south in the channels of Espiritu Santo lie several other historic wrecks, including the USS Tucker. This American destroyer struck a mine in 1942 and now lies scattered across a sandy seabed at a maximum depth of 60 feet (18.5 meters). Spanning a wide section of reef, the debris field creates an expansive habitat for a range of species, including titan triggerfish, crocodile fish, napoleon wrasse, and dense schools of glassfish.
Aviation history buffs can also explore the island’s famous WWII plane wrecks, most notably a relatively intact F4U Corsair. The fighter aircraft splashed down less than a mile (1.2 kilometers) from the end of a former U.S. air base runway on the island’s east coast. The plane has tons of appeal on its own, but the site is also surrounded by stunning coral reefs that give divers plenty of pristine habitat to explore.
Completing the lineup is the MV Henry Bonneaud, an iconic artificial reef scuttled by local dive operators in 1989. Resting mostly upright on a sandy slope in remarkably clear water, the ship’s bow points down slope, into the blue at a maximum depth of 155 feet (47 meters).
On the ground, local dive operators have already integrated Reef Smart’s 3D briefing charts into their daily operations, which make pre-dive briefings crystal-clear, enhancing diver safety and ensuring guests get the most from their underwater experience.
Whether you are planning your next trip or exploring from home, you can view these interactive 3D models online today at the Reef Smart Guides website and the Vanuatu Tourism Office portal. Discover why generations of divers have made the pilgrimage to this South Pacific paradise—and get ready to explore Vanuatu like never before.