SS Montebello Wreck
The oil tanker SS Montebello was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on December 23, 1941, only weeks after Pearl Harbor, while carrying more than 3 million gallons of crude oil. NOAA places the wreck about seven miles off Cambria in roughly 900 feet of water, where it has become.
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- Target Name: SS Montebello Wreck
- Registry Category: shipwreck
- Geographic Location: Off Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, central coast (Coordinates:
35.58330, -121.26670) - Land Status: Federal offshore waters in the Chumash Heritage sanctuary planning area; National Register-listed wreck, protected from unauthorized disturbance (Classified as Protected / Restricted)
- Primary Historic Source: Maritime Heritage: Field Research: Montebello
- Search & Usefulness Rating: Score 65/100 (Field Readiness: Advanced Fieldwork)
- Summary Overview: The oil tanker SS Montebello was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on December 23, 1941, only weeks after Pearl Harbor, while carrying more than 3 million gallons of crude oil. NOAA places the wreck.
Historical Overview
The oil tanker SS Montebello was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on December 23, 1941, only weeks after Pearl Harbor, while carrying more than 3 million gallons of crude oil. NOAA places the wreck about seven miles off Cambria in roughly 900 feet of water, where it has become one of the central coast's most studied wartime losses. The ship has no buried-chest folklore, but it is one of the region's most famous historic wrecks and a classic deep-water lost-history site. Because of depth, protection, and safety concerns, it is a records-and-remote-sensing target rather than a hobby-diving target.
Field Search & Recovery Tips
Work from shoreline overlooks, war-era routing history, and NOAA/MBARI survey material rather than any attempt to visit the exact wreck. The useful field exercise is understanding the Cambria offshore topography and wartime tanker routes. Any salvage or disturbance would require formal authorization and specialized deep-water capability.
Field Action Checklist
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Federal offshore waters in the Chumash Heritage sanctuary planning area; National Register-listed wreck, protected from unauthorized disturbance
Legal & Permit Review
Recommended Outfitting
Maritime Heritage: Field Research: Montebello
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