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​

THE S.S. DOMINATOR SHIPWRECK

Location:  Palos Verdes Estates, CA
​Accessibility:  Moderately difficult 1-mile hike rough terrain

Built:  1944
On the westernmost tip of the Palos Verdes peninsula are the fragmented remains of a WWII American Liberty Ship that ran a ground over fifty years ago.  This ship, originally christened the SS Melville Jacoby, was built in Rhode Island and launched in 1944.  After the war it was sold to a commercial shipping company, and since then, it has changed hands and names several times.  In 1947 it was renamed the SS Victoria.  In 1950 it was the SS North Queen.  And finally in 1953 it was stationed in Greece and given the name the SS Dominator.

From then on, Dominator was used exclusively as a freighter, until it met an unfortunate end on the evening of March 13, 1961.  Dominator was carrying a full shipment of wheat and beef down the coast, on their way to refuel at the port in Long Beach.  Due to out-dated equipment and a thick layer of fog that night, Captain Papanicolopoulos mistook the Point Vincente lighthouse for the entrance to Long Beach Harbor, and the ship ran a ground on the rocky shores of Palos Verdes.

For two days, the coast guard tried to re-float the ship, but heavy winds and high seas only pushed it further up the rocks.  Efforts continued until the night of March 16, when the captain sent a final SOS and the crew abandoned ship.

For more information on how to find the Dominator yourself, please watch the video.
  • New Episodes
  • Adventure Archive
    • 2023 Episodes >
      • Zzyzx
    • 2022 Episodes >
      • The Salton Sea Naval Base
      • Desert Christ Park
      • Rubel Castle
      • The Radford Art Walk
      • George Air Force Base
      • The Cal-Earth Institute
      • The Venice Canals
      • Mount Rubidoux
      • Queen Califia's Magical Circle
      • Scary Dairy
      • Fort MacArthur
      • Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch
    • 2020 Episodes >
      • The Lummis Castle
      • The Sky Slide
      • The Galleta Meadows Sculptures
      • Burro Schmidt Tunnel
      • The Global Angel Wings Project
      • The Topanga Time Tunnel
      • Solstice Canyon
      • The Kea Mill
      • Tankland
      • Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village
      • Cabot's Pueblo
    • 2019 Episodes >
      • The Shoemaker Tunnels
      • The Canned Heat Suicide House
      • Angels Flight
      • Echo Mountain
      • Amir's Garden
      • The Amboy Crater
      • Hazel's Volcanic Gardens
      • East Jesus
      • Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark
      • The Mojave Lava Tube
      • The Mosaic Tile House
      • The Krampus Run
    • 2018 Episodes >
      • Devil's Gate Dam
      • Salvation Mountain
      • The Cat House
      • The Sutro Bath Ruins
      • Bring Your Own Big Wheel
      • The Wave Organ
      • The Bay Bridge Troll
      • The Peephole Cinema
      • Nike Missile Site LA-88L
      • The High Tower Elevator
    • 2017 Episodes >
      • The Bridge to Nowhere
      • The Musical Road
      • The Old Los Angeles Zoo
      • The St. Francis Dam
      • Phantasma Gloria
      • The Sunken City
      • Nike Missile Site LA-96C
      • The Prohibition Tunnels
      • Vasquez Rocks
      • Big Horn Mine
      • The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
    • 2016 Episodes >
      • The Laguna Beach Pirate Tower
      • The Great Wall of Los Angeles
      • Murphy's Ranch
      • The Chemosphere
      • The Los Feliz Murder Mansion
      • The Music Box Steps
      • Bronson Cave
      • The Shakespeare Bridge
      • The S.S. Dominator Shipwreck
      • The Last Bookstore
      • Picnic Table #29
  • Map
  • Contact Us