New Caledonia · France · Wreck · Artificial reef
Toho V
A 55 m longliner upright on sand at 25 m
Area photo: Jean Rerêve · CC BY-SA 4.0
A 55 m longliner scuttled on purpose at 25 m beside Récif Tabu, off Nouméa, to work as an artificial reef. She sits upright on her keel on sand and the interior is open throughout, so the dive is a straightforward tour inside and out with a torch. Jacks and groupers hold around the structure, and in April it disappears under a cloud of juvenile fish.
Also known as Toho V Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
22.4828° S, 166.4446° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck lies on sand next to Récif Tabu, upright on her keel, with the deepest part of the site at 25 m. That puts the whole dive on one level and inside recreational limits, with no decompression profile to work around a deeper section. Visibility on the site is rated as very good, which makes the 55 m hull easy to take in from one end to the other.
The interior is fully accessible, so much of the dive is spent moving through the vessel rather than around it — take a torch, since the light drops off quickly inside a hull this size. Watch for lionfish, which sit still against the structure and are easy to put a hand on by accident. Outside, jacks and groupers work the wreck, and green turtles are among the species divers log here.
April is the month the site changes character: the wreck is described as disappearing under a cloud of juvenile fish, dense enough to hide the structure underneath. Beyond that, little of the vessel's own story is published. The site listing gives the reason she is down there — a deliberate scuttling to build an artificial reef — but not the year it happened, and nothing of her working life as a longliner before that.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Toho V
- Type
- Longliner fishing vessel
- Length
- 55 m (180 ft)
- Cause
- Scuttled deliberately to create an artificial reef
- Lies
- Upright on her keel on the sandy bottom next to Récif Tabu, at 25 m
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
- Sea turtles
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows New Caledonia: Sep–Dec is warmest and clearest before the wet season; Jan–Mar is cyclone season, and winter water drops to about 21°C.
Know before you go
- The interior is dark: carry a torch and a backup rather than relying on ambient light through the openings.
- Lionfish sit motionless against the structure, so watch where you place hands when moving through the wreck.
Dive videos
TOHO V Kaleidoscope of Underwater Color · Samiy Diver on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Toho V wreck?+
She was sunk at 25 m and sits upright on the sand, so the dive stays on a single level, within recreational depth limits but past what an Open Water certification covers.
Can you go inside the Toho V?+
Yes — the wreck is described as fully accessible inside. Bring a torch: the interior of a 55 m hull is dark, and lionfish rest against the structure where divers are likely to put their hands.
Sources
- Toho V (Wreck) — Scubago
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Wall
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Lagoon
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Reef
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