Channel Islands · United States · Wreck
Grumman Avenger Wreck
A WWII torpedo bomber intact on sand at 37 m off Anacapa
Area photo: National Marine Sanctuaries · CC BY 2.0
A Grumman TBF Avenger, a World War II United States Navy torpedo bomber, lies on sand about 37 m down on the east side of Anacapa Island, roughly 12 m clear of the reef. It sits at the deep end of the 15 to 37 m range published for Anacapa's dive sites, in average visibility of 6 to 18 m, and the airframe still holds its aircraft shape. The wreck is inside the Anacapa marine protected area.
Also known as TBF Avenger Wreck, The Avenger.
Where it is and how deep
34.0200° N, 119.3700° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is a straight drop to the sand on the east side of Anacapa, with the bottom at roughly 37 m, which is the deep end of the 15 to 37 m range published for the reserve's dive sites and leaves little bottom time. The Avenger sits about 12 m clear of the reef, so the descent puts you down on open sand rather than on structure, and the airframe resolves as a recognisable aircraft rather than a scattered debris field.
Average visibility runs 20 to 60 feet, about 6 to 18 m, so on a poor day you work the wreck in sections and on a better one you can take the whole aircraft in from a few metres off the bottom. The wreckage has become a focal point for marine life, and fish gather around the structure. There is nothing shallower alongside it to drift onto at the end, so plan the turn and the ascent on gas and no-stop time rather than on how much of the airframe is left to see.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Grumman TBF Avenger
- Type
- WWII US Navy torpedo bomber
- Cause
- Mid-air collision with another aircraft during a training exercise
- Lies
- On sand at about 37 m, some 12 m off the reef, still holding its aircraft shape
The Avenger was flying in a formation of five aircraft on a training exercise in the early 1950s when it collided with one of the other planes and both came down. The Avenger descended on the east side of Anacapa without any casualties and settled on the sand, where it has kept its aircraft shape ever since. The other plane crashed on the opposite side of the island with loss of life, and that wreck site remains undiscovered.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair |
Season follows Channel Islands: Water is clearest and calmest September-November after summer plankton blooms settle; winter storms bring rough crossings and colder water.
Know before you go
- At about 37 m this is a short, gas-hungry dive; watch no-stop time and turn pressure closely, because the surrounding sand offers no shallower structure to linger on.
- Visibility averages only 6 to 18 m, so the wreck is easy to lose once you leave it; keep a reference to the reef 12 m away or to the boat's line.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Anacapa Avenger wreck?+
The wreck site is approximately 120 feet, or 37 m, deep, and sits about 12 m away from the reef on the sand. That is the deep end of the range published for Anacapa's dive sites, and it calls for deep-dive training and tight gas planning.
What is the visibility on the Avenger wreck?+
Average visibility on the wreck ranges from 20 to 60 feet, roughly 6 to 18 m, so conditions vary from working the aircraft section by section to seeing the whole airframe at once.
Sources
- Anacapa Island State Marine Reserve — Wikipedia
- Channel Islands National Park — Wikipedia
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