HIJMS Nagato - Bikini Atoll

The Nagato is a monster, a genuinely immense piece of history. We’re talking about the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the vessel from which Admiral Yamamoto ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor. Now she rests upside down, at about 52 metres, and the scale of the wreck is just humbling. It's not a dive for the faint of heart, or for anyone without solid wreck experience, a deep cert, and preferably, sidemount. Our favourite part has to be the huge bow section, a leviathan of steel covered in life. You drop down, and it just keeps going. Schools of barracuda hang off the structure, shimmering in the shafts of light that pierce the gloom. Look out for the gigantic four-bladed propellers, they’re still mostly intact and give you a sense of the sheer power this ship once had. Inside, the sheer scale of the engine room is incredible – a cathedral of twisted metal, now home to clouds of glasseye snapper and the occasional patrolling reef shark. You can spend an entire dive just on one section of the Nagato and still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface. The wreck is slowly but surely transforming into a thriving artificial reef, with blackfin squirrelfish darting between fire coral and the larger parrotfish grazing on the hull. We'd suggest staying shallow on your deco stops, exploring the upper sections of the superstructure which are now a maze of coral growth.

Location
Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, Central & South Pacific
Coordinates
11.560000, 165.370000
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
35-55m
Difficulty
Expert

Marine Protected Area: Bikini

Best Time to Dive in Bikini Atoll

The warmest water temperatures in Bikini Atoll occur in January, averaging 27.7°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.7°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 27.7°C (air: 26.9°C)
  • February: 27.7°C (air: 26.7°C)
  • March: 27.7°C (air: 26.9°C)
  • April: 27.7°C (air: 27.1°C)
  • May: 27.7°C (air: 27.5°C)
  • June: 27.7°C (air: 27.7°C)
  • July: 27.7°C (air: 27.9°C)
  • August: 27.7°C (air: 27.9°C)
  • September: 27.7°C (air: 28.0°C)
  • October: 27.7°C (air: 27.8°C)
  • November: 27.7°C (air: 27.8°C)
  • December: 27.7°C (air: 27.5°C)

Nearby Dive Sites in Bikini Atoll

Marine Life in Bikini Atoll

Home to 268 recorded species including 190 reef fish, 65 hard corals, 3 clams & mussels, 3 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 sharks & rays, 1 jellyfish.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for HIJMS Nagato

Based on average water temperature of 27.7°C.

  • Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
  • Mask - essential for every dive
  • Fins
  • BCD - buoyancy compensator
  • Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
  • Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
  • Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
  • Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
  • Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories