Off Hammond Island, a short boat ride from Thursday Island, lies the wreck of a Japanese Zero fighter in about 4 m of water. Marine Life Network's Torres Strait page records that it was downed during combat in March 1942 and found some 55 years after the crash. It notes that the site is on Aboriginal land and that diving it is very difficult without local assistance.

Zeros – the Mitsubishi A6M – were the principal Japanese carrier and land-based fighters of the Pacific war, and they attacked Horn Island's Allied airfield repeatedly in 1942. A Zero lost over Torres Strait would most likely have been part of one of those raids. Intact or near-intact Zero wrecks in Australian waters are rare, which gives this site genuine historical interest.

The shallow depth means it can be dived on a single tank with long bottom time, but Torres Strait's tidal currents and variable visibility mean timing is crucial – dive at slack water on a neap tide. The condition of the aircraft after decades in the tropical shallows is not documented in the sources read. Crocodiles are a real hazard around Hammond Island, as throughout Torres Strait.

Anyone contemplating a dive should seek permission from the traditional owners through local councils and go with local guides who know the site and the conditions. For WWII aviation enthusiasts visiting Thursday or Horn Island, this is the most intriguing underwater relic in the region – but it is not a casual dive, and access depends on local goodwill. The wreck is protected historic material and must not be disturbed.

Fly Cairns–Horn Island (daily Qantaslink/Regional Express services, about 1 hr 45 min); Horn Island airport links to Thursday Island by a 15–20 minute passenger ferry. There is no full-service dive shop in Torres Strait, so diving is arranged either on an expedition liveaboard (Mike Ball's Spoilsport ends or starts its November Northern Exposure trips at Horn Island Pier and has dived the Quetta; PDS's MV Kalinda has also finished trips there) or through local contacts and club divers on Thursday Island with a local boat. Bring all equipment; fills are limited and must be arranged in advance.

Torres Strait is a shallow, tide-dominated passage between the Coral Sea and the Arafura Sea, and the tides drive everything. Currents in channels such as the Adolphus, Prince of Wales and Endeavour channels regularly exceed 4 knots, and sites are only diveable for a short slack-water window – often once a day, and sometimes not at all on big spring tides. Plan around neap tides and consult local tide tables for the exact slack.

The south-east trades blow strongly from about April to November, raising steep wind-against-tide seas; the calmest period is the transition around November–December (when liveaboards visit), and the north-west monsoon season (December–April) brings storms, cyclone risk, stingers and reduced visibility from run-off. Visibility is variable, typically 5–15 m, and is best on the flood tide during neaps.

With local permission and a guide, dive at slack water: drop to the wreck in about 4 m, circle it slowly without touching, and return to the boat before the tide runs.

Protected historic aircraft (UCH Act 2018 >75 years) – no touching or removal.

No dive operator – the site is on Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander land and diving it is very difficult without local assistance; arrange via local contacts on Thursday Island.