The Wreck of The Sapona is probably one of the first dive sites not only in Bimini, but in all of the Bahamas. Reason being, it is just so darn easy to find! The Sapona, in and of itself is a great dive site. And, what makes it even greater is the ship’s history.

During World War I, traditional ship building supplies, ie. Steel, was in short supply. Looking for alternatives, the US government commissioned the construction of 24 ships made from Concrete. They were to be built by the Liberty Ship Company. Of the 24 vessels planned only 12 were built. And, the history of the 12 is a bit in question. Especially the history of The Sapona.

Some historians have the Sapona completed in 1911, others claim she didn’t set sail until after the war ended in 1920. What everyone does agree on however is that by 1924 she was owned by famous Bahamian Rum Smuggler Bruce Bethel. Stories have it that Bethel was using the vessel as a floating warehouse just off the shores of Bimini during the US period of Prohibition.

Another point, not in dispute is that her present location just behind South Bimini on the Great Bahama Bank is the result of a hurricane back in 1926. The Sapona didn’t “sink” as much as she simply “ran aground” having been driven up into shallow water by the storm. Another hurricane in 1932 caused the stern end to snap off and keel over to the east side. This same 1932 hurricane is rumored to have put the entire island of North Bimini underwater for a short period of time during the storm.

Probably the most famous story about the Sapona has it’s roots in one of aviation’s biggest mysteries. And, the story that launched the legend of the Devil’s Triangle. The disappearance of Flight 19 on December 5^th, 1945. During the early 1940’s, the Naval Air Stations located in Southern Florida would regularly use the wreck of the Sapona for bombing a strafing practice. Shooting up the hull with 50 caliber machine gun shells and dropping fake bombs. They shot so many rounds at The Sapona that to this day, following stormy weather, divers still find a few coral encrusted machine gun shells strewn on the bottom on the periphery of the wreck.

On that fateful Sunday in 1945, a squadron of Avenger airplanes took off on a simple training mission. One of their tasks was to do a little target practice on the Sapona. History tell the rest of the story. The entire squadron disappeared as well as 2 of the search planes sent out to find them. To this day, no trace of the Avengers or the Search Planes has ever been found.

The Sapona has intrigued many people over the years. Including author Ian Fleming. In his James Bond novel Thunderball (originally titled Longitude 78 West), Fleming used the location of The Sapona as the site where SPECTRE hid the hijacked Vulcan Bomber and her payload of Atomic Bombs. In the movie version of Thunderball, filmmakers did not feel the need to be that accurate to the novel and chose not to feature the Sapona wreck site in the film.

The site itself is quite a good dive if you enjoy shallow dives. The hull below the waterline is covered in brightly colored coral. Divers do need to be aware though that there is quite a bit if Fire Coral on the wreck. Just watch where and what you touch. As the only underwater structure for miles, the superstructure attracts quite a few of the smaller tropical fish. Yellowtails, Grunts, and Squirrel Fish are just a few of the species you will encounter. The propeller on the stern of the ship is quite impressive and that coupled with what’ left of the ship's rudder make an interesting location for photography. Even though the dive is very shallow, conditions can, on occasion, become challenging. Strong tidal flows can cause the currents around the wreck site to be formidable. Also, during extreme full moon outgoing tides, the water temp around the Sapona can be as much as 3 to 4 degrees cooler than out on the reef. Quite a surprise at times for the unsuspecting diver.

All-in-all, The Sapona is one of those places that you’ve just GOT to have in your log book. Even if it’s just one dive. On your next dive trip to Bimini, be sure to ask the crew if they can fit a trip to the Sapona onto your itinerary.