Gary Fabian Gary Fabian

Gary Fabian


ABOUT ME

As a maritime historian and shipwreck researcher I utilize multibeam sonar data to locate ship and aircraft wrecks lost at sea. For 18 years I’ve been studying sonar interpretation and using it in my own research. Some of that research has led to a number of significant discoveries.

My earliest discovery was one of Southern California's most elusive shipwrecks: German Submarine UB88 sunk off the coast of San Pedro in 1921. Subsequent years produced a string of military aircraft discoveries including a Convair B-36 Peacemaker that crashed off San Diego in 1952.

In 2013 The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory allowed me to participate in their successful hunt for Japanese Submarine I-400 and USS Kailua off the coast of Oahu, HI.

In 2016 I had the opportunity to collaborate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to successfully locate a Boeing B-29 Superfortress lost in deep water off the coast of Saipan during WWII. The following month saw another NOAA discovery, Japanese cargo ship Amakasu Maru No. 1 sunk off Wake Island in 1942.

My work has led to nearly two dozen notable discoveries, all made possible with the aid of multibeam sonar.

DISCOVERIES (and some rediscoveries)

German Submarine UB88, San Pedro, CA
Convair B-36 Peacemaker, San Diego, CA
TBM Avenger, San Diego, CA
Grumman F6F Hellcat, Laguna Beach, CA
Vought F4U Corsair, Dana Point, CA
Douglas SBD Dauntless, Santa Catalina Island, CA
USS Hopewell, San Clemente Island, CA
USS Vammen, San Clemente Island, CA
Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, Santa Monica Bay, CA
Cessna 210, Santa Monica Bay, CA
Douglas F4D Skyray, Santa Monica Bay, CA
Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Newport Beach, CA
Japanese Submarine I-400, Oahu, HI (HURL)
USS Kailua, Oahu, HI (HURL)
USS PC-1239, Oahu, HI (HURL)
City of Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, CA (NMS)
Ituna, San Francisco, CA (NMS)
Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Saipan (OER)
IJN Amakasu Maru No. 1, Wake Island (OER)
Royal Taipan, Oahu, HI (OER)
USCG Cutter McCulloch, Pt. Conception, CA (NMS)
USS Baltimore (C-3), Oahu, HI (OER)

(HURL) Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory
(NMS) NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
(OER) NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Check out my other website too. BathymetricResearch.com