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Aircraft Carrier WreckTechnical DiveLiveaboard DiveUnverified

NBM Dive Site Resource

USS Saratoga CV-3

Bikini Atoll, Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

Bikini Atoll’s signature aircraft-carrier wreck, with an immense flight deck, aircraft and complex interior resting across a broad technical-depth range.

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Historic Picture Placeholder

Old-fashioned maritime line drawing reserved for a future historic photograph
Historic Picture PlaceholderHistoric photograph pending research and rights review
WaterMarine
AccessSpecialist liveaboard-only technical wreck dive with operator-arranged atoll permissions and itinerary access.
ExperienceTechnical wreck diver; typically PADI Tec 50, TDI Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures or equivalent, with recent wreck experience.
Maximum depthApproximately 18–51 m; flight deck about 27 m and lagoon floor about 51 m.
Best seasonSpecialist trips are seasonal and schedule-dependent, commonly concentrated May–October; reconfirm live availability and permits.
VisibilityOften 40–60 m, but particulate, weather and wreck conditions can reduce visibility.

Aquatic life at this dive site

What divers may encounter

Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.

Profile connection reserved

Aquatic life research in progress

NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.

Profile connection reserved

Aquatic life research in progress

NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.

Profile connection reserved

Aquatic life research in progress

NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.

Site media

Photographs

Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Helldiver cockpit on the exact USS Saratoga CV-3 wreck at Bikini Atoll.
A Helldiver cockpit on the USS Saratoga wreck in Bikini Lagoon.U.S. National Park Service staff, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain — U.S. National Park Service workSource ↗
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending

Contributor media

Dive videos

Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.
Dive-site video pending
Dive-site video pending
Dive-site video pending

Published reference location

Location map

The marker shows the public coordinates associated with this profile. Confirm current access, moorings, and departure details before the dive.
Published reference coordinates11.59000, 165.50000
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Map zoom level 6 of 11

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Recent field observations

Diver-reported temperatures

Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.
Automatically checked
No recent diver reports from the past 14 days

A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.

Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.

Diver field observation

Report temperatures

Reports publish automatically when the date, depths, and temperatures pass the checks. You must be signed in to submit.

Depth readings

Why divers know this place

Highlights

270 m flight deck, aircraft, guns, superstructure, historic interiors and prolific marine life.

Before you arrive

Access notes

Book only with a current Bikini technical operator. Tec 50-equivalent qualifications and wreck experience are typically required; penetration needs specific overhead training and guide approval. No boat relationship is inferred.

Plan within your training

Conditions and hazards

Mandatory decompression, overhead penetration, entanglement, sharp and unstable wreckage, possible ordnance, long runtimes, limited gas options, sharks and extremely remote evacuation. Do not handle artifacts; follow radiological and heritage rules.

At the site

Facilities and support

Pacific Master provides technical cylinders, oxygen/helium support subject to configuration, deco bar, tenders and onboard accommodation; there is no shoreside rescue infrastructure at the wreck.

Independent resource notice

This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.