wreck

Log This Dive

MT ARAYAT

The MT Arayat sits in unbelievably shallow water in the Rock Islands, basically a bathtub, which is a big part of its charm. We love it because you can practically snorkel it, but getting on scuba lets you really appreciate the scale. This tanker went down in 1944, not 1965 as some folks say, a victim of Operation Hailstone, and now its superstructure breaks the surface, a skeletal hand reaching out of the lagoon. Diving the Arayat feels like exploring a ghost ship left behind by the tide. We often find ourselves drifting over the deck, spotting schools of fusiliers darting through the rusted holds, and the odd juvenile reef shark using the shadow for cover. It’s a fantastic spot for photographers, especially wide-angle, with the sun dappling through the shallows and illuminating the encrusted metal. Visibility here is usually excellent, so on a calm morning, you can see the entire wreck from the surface. It’s an easy, relaxing dive, perfect for knocking off after a drift through Peleliu.