The Coolidge was a luxury liner that was part of the President Lines when she was converted to carry troops at the beginning of WW II. She sunk  when she ran onto a mine while entering the harbor at Espiritu Santo.  The captain was able to run her onto a reef and over 5000 troops got off.  Only 6 or 8 people died but critical supplies for the war were lost.

Because of the remoteness of what is now Vanuatu, she was never extensively salvaged.  Almost all of her cargo remains intact.

She lays in between 100 and 250 feet of water.  Most divers start at he bow ( 100') and go down to the gentleman's smoking room at about the center of the ship (150') to see and sometimes kiss the Lady, a porcelain statue that was mounted over the fireplace.

Both the lady and the toilets, which were installed when she was converted to carry troops, testify to the difficulty of choral growth adhering to porcelain.

  This is a picture of my dive computer after going to see "The Lady".  Note that maximum depth reads 145' and the computer is in the "DECO" mode.  I figured I better take a picture because I didn't intend to ever see it that way again.  I haven't.

It is telling me that I must decompress at 10' for at least 2 minutes and that up to now my dive time is 18 minutes which demonstrates what is wrong with deep diving.  Fly half way around the world for a 18 minute dive.  Normally Sue and I will stay down for an hour.  We didn't decompress for 2 minutes but more like 20.  The dive operator has a coral garden at 20 feet with unlimited air.  Interestingly because of this you don't worry about using up your air.  Because you aren't worried, you don't breath rapidly and your air lasts.  My total dive time was over 40 minutes and I didn't have to use any air but what was in my aluminum 80.

While I don't recommend deep diving, the Coolidge is an exception.  When the bridge of such a massive ship laying on its side appears out of the merk, it takes your breath away.