Wreck-Diving.org

the antartic !

California is host to a great west coast selection of shipwrecks. The shipwreck collection is called "Wreck Alley" and is directly off the cost of San Diego just outside Mission Bay. It includes 8 artificial reefs, 6 of which were intentionally sunk. The reefs were placed at all different times and therefore each one has a completely different look and feel.

The most recent and largest of the wrecks is the Yukon, a 366 foot steel hulled Canadian Mackenzie Class Destroyer that was intentionally sunk in 2000, although it unintentionally sunk the night before it was to be ceremonially sunk in front of a huge gathering. Being that it sank without warning it now sits on it’s side rather than upright. It sits in about 100 feet of water at the sand, and rises to about 60 feet at the shallowest sitting on it’s side with a 42′ breadth. There are very large cutouts in the hull for divers to swim through if they have the proper training and for all divers to poke their head in with a strong dive light. The main guns are still there and plenty of life has found refuge inside them. Stick a dive light in them and see for yourself. It is home to several species of all different aquatic life. Having been sunk only 10 years ago it is still fairly new and each year more and more life is attracted to it and makes it home.

The second most popular of the wrecks is the Ruby E, a 165 foot former Coast Guard Cutter, fishing boat, and salvage vessel. It sits in about 85 feet of water at the sand and stands nearly upright. Having been sunk in 1989 it has had over a decade more growth on it than the Yukon does. It is known for it’s encrusting of strawberry anemones. This makes the Rube E a great wreck for underwater photographers and sightseers. In slightly shallower waters than the Yukon a diver can enjoy the wreck with a bit more bottom time.

Other sites include a NOSC tower, an old research tower sitting in 60 feet of water and is reminiscent of a giant underwater jungle gym, the El Rey, a kelp harvesting boat and the first intentionally sunk boat in wreck alley, among others. All the dive sites are reachable by a barrage of scuba diving charters year round. Winter months boast the best underwater visibility for California diving.