The SS President Coolidge has a total of seven cargo holds which were originally used to carry mail, freight, luggage and provisions for its days as a luxury cruise liner. When she was converted into a World War II troop transport, the overall layout of these cargo spaces remained largely unchanged, but their purpose shifted dramatically—from supporting civilian travel to supplying the war effort in the Pacific.
Most notable being vehicles, trucks, artillery pieces, ammunition, medical stores, and personal equipment for soldiers. In fact you can still see the American jeeps flat packed together in their crates as they would have been at the time of shipping.
Cargo Hold 1 is located at the bow of the ship, making it the shallowest cargo hold on the President Coolidge. It is smaller and more densely packed, and because it remained largely untouched by salvagers, it contains a higher concentration of these intact artifacts. As a result, this dive requires good buoyancy control and comfort in enclosed spaces.
Access is possible either from the ship’s deck, which now lies to the east directly beneath the 3-inch gun, or by swimming through the internal decks from Cargo Hold 2.
From Cargo Hold 1, divers can access several adjacent compartments, including the crew’s bathrooms. With sufficient time and gas, it is also possible to swim forward toward the bow and exit through a small opening on the deck, which was originally the anchor chain locker.
Once divers have completed dives to Cargo Holds 1 and 2 in daylight and are comfortable with the site, they can plan a night dive to observe the resident flashlight fish.
These small, dark fish may look ordinary during the day, but they have special organs beneath their eyes containing bioluminescent bacteria. At night, they can switch this light on and off to communicate, attract prey, and evade predators.
While occasionally visible in darker areas during daylight, night dives in Cargo Holds 1 and 2 provide the best opportunity to see these fascinating nocturnal deep-water fish in action.