Secret Shipwreck at Notoriously Localized LA Surf Spot

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 8:11 PM ET

Lunada Bay, a picturesque cove in Los Angeles’ Palos Verdes Estates, is most (in)famous for its aggressive surf localism – rock throwing, tire slashing, and general harassment for anyone who lives outside the 90275 zip code.

Although a recent lawsuit mostly ended the reign of terror incited by the Lunada Bay Boys, a group of wealthy residents, who were classified as a “gang.”

But there’s something else to Lunada Bay, which is one of the only spots in Los Angeles County that can hold a swell during the biggest blobs that roll through the region in the wintertime. There’s a secret shipwreck rotting away on the rocky shores.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Richard Haynes | South Bay Realtor (@richardhaynesrealestate)

As local real estate agent, Richard Haynes, explains:

“South Bay’s Forgotten Shipwreck.

“Did you know LA has a real shipwreck you can still hike to?

“Beneath the cliffs of Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Estates lie the rusting remains of the SS Dominator, a 441-foot Greek freighter that crashed in 1961 while on its way to the Port of Long Beach to refuel.

“Back then, news spread quickly. Crowds hiked, boated, and even flew in to see the stranded giant. The chaos got so wild, California Highway Patrol issued a Sigalert.

“Decades of pounding surf have torn her apart, scattering the remains across the rocky shore.

“Today, only fragments are left of what was once the South Bay’s most famous shipwreck.”

What the SS Dominator looks like today...over 60 years later.Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images

On a foggy night, while attempting to enter Long Beach to refuel, the SS Dominator crashed into the rocks on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. And there it has remained for over 60 years. Today, only fragments of the vessel remain. At the time, allegedly, thousands of visitors came to view the shipwreck, while today, most folks probably don’t even notice it.

So, next time you head down to Lunada, take a look to the south end of the bay, and you’ll find a secret relic of forgotten history.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: