KYUSU MARU (POSSIBLY)

Best months: Jul–Oct

Protected Area

Komarindi

Why dive here

With 391+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, humpback whales and orcas - KYUSU MARU (POSSIBLY) offers some of Iron Bottom Sound's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 29-31°C, warmest January, April, December.

Best timeJul–Oct

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Humpback Whales and Orcas · 391+ species recorded

Water29-31°C · warmest January, April, December

CharacterWreck dive · max 60m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Dropping onto the Kyusu Maru feels like stepping back in time, or maybe more accurately, falling into a sepia-toned photograph. At 60 metres, this is definitely one for the experienced tech divers, and it’s a dive we'll always recommend if you’ve got the training. The sheer size of this 142-metre transport ship, bombed in 1942, is humbling. We love the way the light filters down, creating long shadows across the deck, illuminating the occasional plate or bottle. What we really appreciate here isn't just the history, but the way the ocean has completely reclaimed it. The bow section, in particular, is an incredible tangle of soft corals, and we’ve spotted massive schools of batfish circling the masts. The stern is more broken, but the cargo holds offer some fantastic swim-throughs, if you're comfortable with overhead environments and proper gas planning. Our favourite part has to be the bridge area; it’s collapsed but still recognisable, and often home to some impressively large groupers. It’s a deep, dark dive, so good lights are essential to properly appreciate the scale and the life.