reef

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Shinkoku Maru

The *Shinkoku Maru* is one of those wrecks that just hits different. An oil tanker sunk in 1944, she’s coated in some of the most vibrant stony and staghorn corals you’ll find in the lagoon. We love dropping onto the bow, seeing the giant gun still in place, then drifting along her superstructure. You can spend a whole dive just exploring the bridge, the engine room, and the holds. Inside, look for the operating theatre, with surgical instruments still visible if you know where to shine a light. Out on the deck, the schools of unicornfish and parrotfish are thick, and the resident groupers eye you with casual indifference. We've often spotted blacktip reef sharks cruising the deeper sections around 30m. It’s an intermediate dive, with depths down to 40m, but plenty to see shallower, making it a good second or third dive of the day. The sheer scale and the incredible coral growth on this wreck are what make it truly special.