B-17 Black Jack

Black Jack is the aircraft wreck other aircraft wrecks are measured against: a B-17F Flying Fortress that ran out of fuel and options in July 1943 and was ditched superbly beside the reef at Boga Boga, the crew surviving. She sits upright on sand below 45 m, essentially whole — ball turret, tail guns, cockpit — with visibility that often lets the entire bomber materialize at once as you descend. The depth makes every minute expensive: teams plan short bottom times, staged decompression, and a disciplined circuit. The village above maintains proud custodianship of the site, and fees paid there are part of the dive.

The moment you come for: A complete Flying Fortress on open sand; turret and cockpit details; one of the world's great deep aircraft dives.

Topography: Flat sand at roughly 47 m with the bomber resting upright and intact

Entry: Off Boga Boga village near Cape Vogel on the province's north coast; reached on liveaboard routes or dedicated charters, sea conditions permitting.

Hazards: Depth beyond recreational limits with mandatory decompression; exposed coast that denies access in swell; remoteness from any chamber.

Conservation: A war-history site under village custodianship — nothing touched, nothing taken, custom fees paid without argument.