Dive the wreck of aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

The wreck of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga is the biggest diving attraction among the many warships sunk during atomic weapon testing at Bikini Atoll in 1946. This video was shot in November 1997 using analog equipment. Viz was easily 200 feet in very warm water (80+F).

Original Music "Future Rap" from the Infinite Loops-1 Royalty Free Music collection by Primary Elements (www.primaryelements.com)

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 'bikini
• atoll'
• shipwrecks
• diving
• 'USS
• Saratoga'
• 'aircraft
• carrier'
• CV-3
• Scuba Diving
• Operation Crossroads

[GlostaKenshi]

A few are in the hangar deck (a hellcat and a TBF? Hard to recall). There may be one or two planes in the sand a ways off the wreck too, though I never bothered to go looking given the wealth of sites on the wreck itself.

[GlostaKenshi]

@Regnet35 You're correct. The squadrons were vacated before the nuclear testing, and perhaps long before that as I seem to recall that Saratoga participated in Magic Carpet operations where they probably wanted hangar deck space for berthing troops. That said, I recall at least three planes in the hangar deck along with a lot of live ordinance (torpedoes and bombs). Wish I could find the video I shot, as the cockpits were in much better shape than I expected.

[Regnet35]

@mrdato116 There are probably no planes, as she was deliberately sunk. They wanted to test the effect of nukes on war ships. The planes were probably brought to shore before the test.

[mrdato116]

Where are planes?