Ruby E wreck - Ashley Hauck Photography

Ruby E was originally a Coast Guard Cutter named Cyane. Her original purpose was to intercept Prohibition-era alcohol shipments along the West Coast. Unfortunately, Prohibition ended before construction of the ship was ever completed, and she was repurposed into an anti-submarine patrol ship in Alaska and the Bering Sea. She was sold in 1954, renamed Can Am, and converted into a fishing vessel, where she lived out the remainder of her seafaring life. The story then goes that Can Am, ironically enough, was impounded for drug smuggling. Renamed the Ruby E and converted into a salvage vessel, she sat in San Diego Harbor until she was repossessed on loan default and stripped for scrap. In 1989, she was scuttled off Mission Bay as an artificial reef. The 165' vessel now rests upright in about 85 feet of water.

For a more detailed look at the Ruby E wreck's rich history, as well as a photo tour and a field guide to its resident marine life, please visit Probably more than you ever wanted to know about the Ruby E wreck

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Divers inside the engine room.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Divers above the bow of the Ruby E wreck.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Spanish Shawl (Flabellina iodinea) nudibranch

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Painted Greenling

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Clown Dorid (Triopha catalinae) nudibranch laying eggs

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Divers on the bow.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Decaying hull.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Fallen mast.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Smokestack and gear locker.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Compressor? in the engine room.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Looking out from the engine room.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: The Ruby E toilet.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Inside the deck house.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Inside the deck house.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Crew berth area with cutouts down to the holds.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Outside the deck house, starboard side. View of the starboard bridge wing above. Also, a toilet.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Port side propeller and rudder. A small portion of brass is visible on the prop.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Dendronotus iris nudibranchs eating a tube anemone in the sand off the wreck.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Front of the deck house/Commanding Officer's cabin.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Inside the pilot house.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Mola mola near the wreck.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Mola mola off the stern.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Divers ascending on the stern line.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: View of the deck house.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Engine room hatch.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Hatch to forward (crew) berths.

Ruby E Wreck

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Divers in the deck house swim through.

Bow of the Ruby E

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Hatch to crew berths and divers on the bowline.

Engines of the Ruby E

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: Ruby E's twin engines, the port side with the heads stripped off and the cylinders visible.

Ruby E Engines

Ruby E wreck, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California: View of port side engine with the heads removed.

Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

Ruby E Wreck, San Diego, California: Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

Ruby E Wreck, San Diego, California: Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

Ashley Hauck Photography - Travel and Underwater Photography