Shinkoku Maru - Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
The Shinkoku Maru is a beast of a wreck, a tanker that really shows you the sheer scale of Operation Hailstone. We love that it’s relatively shallow on the deck, so you get plenty of bottom time to explore the superstructure and its coral growth. Head down into the engine room, and you’ll find the engine telegraph still there, a real chill down your spine moment. Our favourite spot has to be the operating room with the ceramic basins and surgical tools still laid out – it’s incredibly poignant. Outside, the growth of staghorn corals is impressive, drawing in schools of blue-lined tangs and parrotfish. You'll often see gray reef sharks patrolling the deeper sections. This wreck is perfect for divers who want to spend time exploring interior spaces and appreciate the way history and nature have merged. It’s a photographer’s dream, too, with endless compositions around every corner.
- Location
- Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, Micronesia, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- 7.400096, 151.778930
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 10-35m
Best Time to Dive in Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
The warmest water temperatures in Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon occur in January, averaging 28.9°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.9°C (air: 27.8°C)
- February: 28.9°C (air: 27.7°C)
- March: 28.9°C (air: 27.5°C)
- April: 28.9°C (air: 27.5°C)
- May: 28.9°C (air: 27.7°C)
- June: 28.9°C (air: 27.5°C)
- July: 28.9°C (air: 27.5°C)
- August: 28.9°C (air: 27.7°C)
- September: 28.9°C (air: 27.7°C)
- October: 28.9°C (air: 27.9°C)
- November: 28.9°C (air: 27.9°C)
- December: 28.9°C (air: 27.9°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
- AIKOKU MARU - 55m (wreck)
- AMAGISAN MARU - 45m (wreck)
- Betty Bomber (wreck)
- Chuuk Diving: The Wrecks of Truk Lagoon (wreck)
- Chuuk Lagoon Barrier Reefs Awash (reef)
- DAI NI HINO MARU - 36m (wreck)
- Emily Flying Boat - 15-25m (wreck)
- Emily Flying Boat - 12-15m (wreck)
- Fujikawa Maru (wreck)
- Fujikawa Maru (wreck)
- Fujikawa Maru - 10-35m (wreck)
- FUJIKAWA MARU - 33m (wreck)
- FUJISAN MARU - 40m (wreck)
- Fumitsuki Maru - 30-40m (wreck)
- FUMITSUKI (POSSIBLY) - 2m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Shinkoku Maru
- Odyssey Adventures - ["PADI"]
- Truk Stop
- Vision Wealth FSM
Marine Life in Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
Home to 213 recorded species including 133 reef fish, 36 hard corals, 17 sea cucumbers, 12 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 sharks & rays, 4 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Bleeker's Parrotfish (Chlorurus bleekeri) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Long-nosed Parrotfish (Hipposcarus longiceps) - Reef Fish
- Blunt-head Parrotfish (Chlorurus microrhinos) - Reef Fish
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Saddled Parrotfish (Scarus dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Clown Tang (Naso lituratus) - Reef Fish
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Schlegel's Parrotfish (Scarus schlegeli) - Reef Fish
- Roundhead Parrotfish (Scarus globiceps) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
- Blackspotted Sea Cucumber (Pearsonothuria graeffei) - Sea Cucumbers
- Batavian Parrotfish (Scarus psittacus) - Reef Fish
- Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) - Starfish
- Sea chub (Kyphosus cinerascens) - Reef Fish
- Foxface (Siganus vulpinus) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Unicornfish (Naso annulatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Shinkoku Maru
Based on average water temperature of 28.9°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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