The Eidsvold is Christmas Island's only wreck dive and a genuine piece of Second World War history. The 4,184-ton Norwegian motor ship, built by Götaverken in Gothenburg in 1934 and 116.6 m long, was in Flying Fish Cove loading phosphate on 20 January 1942 when she was hit by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-159 and broke in two. Her 31 crew abandoned ship safely and were later taken off the island by HMS Durban. The wreck was towed towards Smith Point and was torpedoed again later that year by the US submarine Searaven. The attack was the opening of the Japanese campaign that ended with the occupation of the island in March 1942.

Eighty years of swell and salvage have reduced the ship to wreckage: what remains is best described as a field of pipes, plates, ribs and machinery scattered down the reef slope from about 5 m to 18 m, with her anchor and chain still clearly recognisable. There is no penetration – the appeal is the way the reef has absorbed the steel. Large, healthy hard corals grow over and among the debris, and the structure shelters schools of yellow goatfish, surgeonfish, black triggerfish and batfish, plus octopus, lionfish and moray eels. Extra Divers call it one of the most accessible wreck dives in Australia and rate it a beginner dive.

Because it is shallow, sheltered and a few minutes from the jetty, the Eidsvold is often used as a second dive, a relaxed photography dive or a night dive, when crustaceans, octopus and hunting fish make the wreckage especially lively. The shallowest remains can be seen by snorkellers. It suits divers of all levels, including those who want a wreck in their logbook without depth or penetration, and history enthusiasts, for whom it is a tangible link to Christmas Island's wartime story.

Fly from Perth (about 4 hours, two to three flights a week, some via Cocos Islands) and hire a car – there is no public transport. The wreck lies just outside the western arm of Flying Fish Cove, towards Smith Point, only a couple of minutes by boat from the cove jetty – both dive centres dive it as a short boat trip, often as a second dive. It can also be reached from the Flying Fish Cove boat ramp (park opposite the ramp, walk down) with a long surface swim west along the reef edge; do this only on calm days, with an SMB, and check boat and ship traffic first.

The shallow parts are snorkelled.

On the north coast, which is in the lee of the south-east trade winds from roughly April/May to November – that is the calm, reliable season here with glassy seas and 30 m+ visibility. From about December to March/April the north-west monsoon brings northerly and north-westerly swell (and occasional cyclone-generated swell) that can make the north coast undiveable and the Flying Fish Cove ramp unusable for days; Extra Divers treat February–April as peak swell season when trips are often cancelled. Any swell over about 1.5 m from the north-west quarter usually cancels the site.

Visibility dips after heavy rain run-off from the plateau and during red crab spawning (Oct–Jan) when plankton blooms. Tides are small (about 1 m) and rarely matter, but currents along the coast can pick up without warning.

Descend on the reef slope near the scattered plates, follow the line of pipes and wreckage down to 15–18 m to find the anchor and chain, then work back up the slope over the debris field, looking into sections for octopus and batfish. Finish on the coral reef top at 5 m for the safety stop.

Protected historic shipwreck (Commonwealth Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018) – no disturbance or removal of relics.

Extra Divers Christmas Island – regular boat dives and guided night dives; CI Wet'n'Dry Adventures – boat dives when conditions suit. Snorkellers also visit.