During World War II, the island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, was home to one of the largest Allied military bases in the South Pacific. Over the course of the war, the U.S. military transformed the island from dense jungle into a bustling wartime hub complete with hospitals, roads, supply depots, and four operational airfields.
When the war ended in 1945, the Americans were left with a huge amount of surplus equipment including trucks, tractors, cranes, and other heavy machinery. Shipping it all back to the United States was not feasible, so they attempted to sell the equipment to the colonial governing authorities of the New Hebrides — the British and the French.
The offer was declined, reportedly because the colonial administrations believed the Americans would simply leave the equipment behind when they departed.
Instead, the U.S. military used bulldozers to push everything — and we mean everything — off a pier into the ocean. Trucks, bulldozers, forklifts, and construction equipment were all sent tumbling into the sea. The pier was then destroyed, creating what is now known as the Million Dollar Point dive site.
Read about the full history right here.
Nature has since reclaimed this historic site, with marine life making a home among the twisted metal structures. What was once considered an environmental disaster has gradually transformed into a thriving artificial reef and one of the most unique wreck dive sites in Vanuatu.
Divers exploring the Million Dollar Point dive site often encounter turtles, electric clams, octopus, moray eels, nudibranchs, rays, and large schools of tropical fish.
Technically, the Million Dollar Point dive site begins right from the shoreline and can even be explored through beachcombing or snorkelling in the shallower areas. However, the best way to fully experience the site is by scuba diving.
We highly recommend exploring the deeper sections through either a Discovery Dive (no experience required) or a Guided Dive with our onsite dive shop in Espiritu Santo.
The seabed slopes gradually from around 5 metres down to approximately 40 metres, making the site suitable for divers of many experience levels and one of the most accessible wreck dives in Vanuatu.
Accessible to divers and non-divers alike, Million Dollar Point is both a fascinating historical site and an incredible underwater adventure — and a must-visit destination when diving in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.