Vanuatu, an independent republic spread across about 80 islands in the south-west part of the Pacific Ocean. Four major islands are Espíritu Santo, Malekula, Éfaté and Tanna. The surface of the country is 14,736 square kilometers and 67 islands are inhabited. The capital city is Port-Vila in the island of Éfaté. Most of the islands are of volcanic origin with three volcanoes which are still active. The highest peak is Tabwémasana (1811 meters) and is situated on Espíritu Santo. Most of the islands are covered with thick forests. The population is approximately 180 thousand.
There are quite a few interesting diving spots around the city of Port Villa, including steep walls, caves and wrecks dating back to the Second World War. However, the best diving spots are situated around the Esprito Santo island in the north. They are famous for "President Coolidge" - one of the largest wrecks in the world open for diving. SS President Coolidge, a large luxurious ocean liner, over 183 meters long, is available for divers both in shallow and deep waters. Built in 1931 and converted into a troopship during the Second World War, the vessel carried supplies to Pacific military bases and eventually ran into two mines near Espiritu Santo port in 1942. The captain ran the vessel aground and only two out of 5000 troops and crew were unable to disembark before the ship slid down from the reef. Contrary to her "peers", Coolige remains intact offering more than a dozen of diving spots (many of which are less than 30 meters deep).
While diving, one can move among numerous decks (partly damaged) filled with cannons, handguns, Jeeps, helmets and trucks. It is worth looking at "The Lady" statue, mosaic tiles and fountains. The vessel grew in coral with schools of fish swimming around. It is easy to spot barracudas, red lionfish, turtles or morays. The vessel lies 20-70 meters deep. One must pay attention to decompression stops while diving. According to "The Times" ranking, SS President Coolidge belongs to the top ten diving wrecks in the world.
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Leszek Czarnecki
Krzysztof Starnawski
Mirosław Wolski
Vanuatu 2014 
Vanuatu 2014 Rafa