wreck

Log This Dive

Rio de janeiro Maru

The *Rio de Janeiro Maru* is one of those wrecks that just clicks with us. It’s an enormous passenger-cargo vessel, over 140 meters long, lying on its starboard side, and it’s been well picked over by time and divers. We love poking around the upper decks, which sit in the shallower end of the dive, maybe 10 to 15 meters. Here, the sunlight really penetrates, illuminating sections of the promenade deck now covered in large plates of bracket coral. It’s a good spot to linger and watch the schools of fusiliers darting in and out of the superstructure. What we really enjoy, though, is the sheer scale of the cargo holds. Dropping into hold number 2, you're immediately struck by the rows of sake bottles still neatly stacked – a genuinely eerie sight. Further down, in holds 3 and 4, there are these huge steamrollers and trucks, just massive pieces of equipment that really give you a sense of the ship’s original purpose. Our favourite part has to be the engine room, though. It’s a bit of a squeeze to get into the deeper parts, but the massive engine components are captivating, and you often find big eye trevally circling in the gloom. This is a wreck for divers who appreciate history and don’t mind extended penetration – just make sure your buoyancy is dialled in.