wreck

Log This Dive

NICHIEI MARU (POSSIBLY)

The Nichiei Maru is a beast of a wreck, a massive oil tanker sitting upright and largely intact. We love how much of the ship you can still make out, from the enormous propeller – genuinely huge – to the gun turrets still mounted on deck. It’s a proper dive into history, a tangible link to WWII. We’d suggest heading down early. The site can get busy and those shafts of sunlight cutting through the water and hitting the superstructure are something else. Inside the holds, you’ll find schools of fusiliers so thick they block the light, creating a shimmering, silver curtain. Look closely among the coral growth that’s started to encrust the metal, and you’ll often spot ornate ghost pipefish camouflaged perfectly. The sheer scale of the Nichiei Maru means you can spend an entire dive just exploring one section, perhaps the bow, and still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface. It’s a deep dive, around 40-50 meters, so definitely one for experienced wreck enthusiasts with appropriate training. We always come away feeling like we’ve stepped back in time.