SS Panay

Archived operator accounts place the SS Panay wreck in Campomanes Bay and report depths of 33–41 metres. They describe a March 1942 sinking; the vessel history and present condition have not been independently established here.

This is a partial site guide based on retained dive listings. Conditions, access, seasonal suitability and current operating arrangements have not been checked by a local diver. The map position comes from a published dive-site dataset and should be confirmed with a local operator before planning a visit.

Source trail (not independent corroboration): Archived operator account; Archived operator account; Directory map record.

The upper wreck is already deep

Sea Explorers places the upper part of SS Panay at approximately 33 m and describes the outing as intended for advanced divers comfortable with deep profiles and limited bottom time. The upper-wreck figure is not the deepest part of the site. Confirm the planned exterior route and its requirements with the operator; no wreck-penetration route is established here.

A conflicting vessel history

Tyne Built Ships records a passenger and cargo vessel named Waterford, built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Neptune Yard. It gives a February 1912 launch and April completion, followed by sale to Cia Maritima and renaming as Panay in 1924. Its compiled history places the loss in Campomanes Bay on 30 December 1941, through bombing by Japanese aircraft. This differs from the March 1942 account above and from operator descriptions of a warship sunk by torpedoes.

The same history describes cattle and cargo service between Fishguard and Waterford, with accommodation for 28 first-class passengers. These details identify the vessel in that historical compilation; they are not archaeological confirmation that every account refers to the wreck now visited by divers. The conflicting dates and sinking mechanisms remain attributed rather than silently replaced.

What the archived photograph can establish

The BenHaven Archives catalog describes a photograph of wreckage that might be S.S. Panay. Its creator is unknown, and the catalog date spans December 1941 to May 1942. The identification is explicitly tentative: the image record does not settle the exact loss date or verify the modern dive site's vessel identity.

A visitor's visibility experience

Diving Squad author Alex describes visiting Sipalay in 2023 and insisting on an SS Panay dive despite concerns about visibility. He reports being unable to see much when descending. This is one named visitor's experience, not a measured visibility range or evidence that every visit has the same conditions. It contrasts with the structural appeal of the wreck in operator descriptions without establishing its present state.