What secrets lie beneath the sands of Coronado Beach? We are standing before the SS Monte Carlo. It was once the largest of the gambling ships that dotted the coast. This concrete and iron remain is from a 300-foot ship. It has a fascinating and somewhat scandalous past.
The SS Monte Carlo was built in 1921. It was originally an oil tanker named McKittrick. In the 1930s, it was reborn as a pleasure ship. It became the flagship of the mob’s gambling fleet. It was a place where people could find illegal pleasures just outside the reach of the law.
Imagine this floating den of vice anchored three miles offshore. This was outside the jurisdiction of Prohibition-era US laws. Wealthy patrons and Hollywood elites like Clark Gable and Mae West visited. They indulged in liquor, gambling and prostitution. The SS Monte Carlo hosted around 15000 people a week. It was called “the world’s greatest pleasure ship.”
The good times did not last. On New Year’s Day in 1937 a violent storm struck. It tore the SS Monte Carlo from her moorings. The ship drifted and ran aground on Coronado Beach. Gambling and prostitution were illegal here. No one claimed ownership of the wreck.
Authorities confiscated the slot machines. Scavengers took what was left. The SS Monte Carlo was abandoned to the elements. The sands swallowed her up. She was eventually forgotten.
But the story does not end there. Some believe treasure remains hidden within the wreck. A man named Bud Bernhard claimed to have found silver dollars as a teenager. He explored the ship after it ran aground. He said there could still be $100000 in gold and silver coins inside.
Today, the SS Monte Carlo is only visible during extreme low tides. Storms can wash away the sand. This exposes the ship’s remains. You can see the concrete marvel. But you must be quick. The sands will soon cover it again.
When the ship is visible, you can see openings that create pools. Some people have even crawled through the compartments. But this is not recommended. The water visibility is murky.
The SS Monte Carlo serves as a reminder of a bygone era. It represents the Roaring Twenties. It reminds us of the allure of forbidden pleasures. It also reminds us of the power of the sea. It is a concrete ship of dreams. It is a shipwrecked gambling den. The SS Monte Carlo remains a captivating piece of San Diego history.