Meet the site
A24-1 was the first Catalina taken on charge by the RAAF, a PBY-5 flying boat with a long wartime history. Darwin Harbour was a major flying-boat base during the Second World War. US Navy Patrol Wing 10 PBYs were moored in the harbour when the Japanese attacked on 19 February 1942, and from 1944 the RAAF operated Catalina squadrons from the harbour on long-range minelaying and patrol missions into the Netherlands East Indies. At least three RAAF and six US Navy Catalinas were lost in the harbour, and DSAC numbers the known wrecks Catalina 1 to 6. The PBY Catalina had a 31.7 m wingspan, a 19.4 m hull and an empty weight of about 9,500 kg, so even a broken wreck covers a surprising area of seabed. On 30 August 1945, piloted by Wing Commander Keith Bolitho, A24-1 crashed during take-off in the harbour. The wreck was towed onto a mud bank in East Arm for salvage and left there.
Today it is the shallowest and most degraded of the harbour's Catalinas, lying at the mangrove edge in no more than about 5 m at high tide. Decades of tidal scouring have broken the airframe down to the nose section, fragments of the wings and the two engines, which are exposed at low tide. Parts were recovered for the restoration of a Catalina displayed at RAAF Base Amberley, and DSAC holds photographs of the aircraft on the mud bank in the late 1960s. It is less a scenic dive than a historical inspection in thick water, and it is only accessible around high water. The mangrove setting brings a much higher crocodile risk than the open-harbour sites, which is why few divers go. It is of most interest to aviation historians and to divers completing DSAC's list of harbour Catalinas; for most visitors the engines visible from a boat at low tide tell the story well enough.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Catalina A24-1 (Catalina 1) is recorded as Aircraft Wreck in Darwin Harbour. The listed access is boat (day trip). Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Catalina A24-1 (Catalina 1) suitable for my certification?
The record lists Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Catalina A24-1 (Catalina 1) through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Mangrove jack, juvenile fish, mudskippers and crabs on the mud bank, barnacles and oysters on the wreckage
Location
On a mud bank at the mangrove edge in East Arm, where the flying boat was towed after crashing on take-off in 1945; engines show at low tide.
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
dsac.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.