In 2005, Hollywood visited the Bahamas and used the southwestern end of New Providence as the shooting location for their latest action-adventure film “Into the Blue,” starring Paul Walker and Jessica Alba. In this treasure-hunting, drug- smuggling blockbuster, a 1932 DC3 airplane was staged underwater as the set for several of the high-adrenaline action-packed sequences. However, once the film wrapped, the DC3 was left behind and moved to its current location, facing south on the edge of New Providence’s southern wall. This once-majestic taildragger airplane has diminished greatly over the years, due to weather and deterioration caused by the salt water.
That being said, the remains of the airplane on this beautiful section of Nassau’s southern wall make it a great dive location. An expanse of colorful reef runs the full length of this dive site, making the vertical drop over the edge of the wall that much more dramatic. Advanced divers will enjoy the clarity of water here, as the wall gets deeper, just before the Tongue of the Ocean makes a sharp turn to the south. Vegetation grows off the wall here, competing for sunlight, while the ever- present marine wildlife swim frantically around searching for food and avoiding divers’ bubbles.
The location of the DC3 makes it a great spot to visit towards the end of the dive. It is shallow enough to take advantage of what air you have left in your tank, exploring the dark nooks and crannies of the site to find whatever may be hiding there. There are not many places you can dive were an artificial reef was once the backdrop for a Hollywood film (other than the Bahamas), and over time this site has become just another part of the reef.
