NICHIEI MARU (POSSIBLY) - Redang Island
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.
- Location
- Redang Island, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 4.508333, 103.466110
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 1m
Marine Protected Area: Pulau Tenggol Marine Park
Best Time to Dive in Redang Island
The warmest water temperatures in Redang Island occur in May, averaging 30.5°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 28.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.0°C
- February: 28.0°C
- March: 28.8°C
- April: 30.2°C
- May: 30.5°C
- June: 29.9°C
- July: 29.5°C
- August: 29.4°C
- September: 29.5°C
- October: 29.9°C
- November: 29.6°C
- December: 28.6°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Redang Island
- Amazing Grace
- ARISTAIOS - 9m (wreck)
- Batu Tokong Kamudi
- Bina Marine 32 - 25m (wreck)
- Coral Garden (reef)
- Five Sisters - 10-25m (pinnacle)
- Gua Rajawali (cave)
- HATSUTAKA (POSSIBLY) - 27m (wreck)
- HOCK HAI LEE - 15m (wreck)
- KETAMA - 7m (wreck)
- LAT DA - 50m (wreck)
- Maju Laut - 9m (wreck)
- MEISUN G7 - 11m (wreck)
- Moonraker
- NANSHIN MARU - 30m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to NICHIEI MARU (POSSIBLY)
Marine Life in Redang Island
Home to 153 recorded species including 101 reef fish, 34 hard corals, 7 sea cucumbers, 3 other, 3 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Common Ponyfish (Leiognathus equula) - Reef Fish
- Yellow Citharid (Brachypleura novaezeelandiae) - Reef Fish
- Lattice monocle bream (Scolopsis taenioptera) - Reef Fish
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Blacktip Ponyfish (Eubleekeria splendens) - Reef Fish
- Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) - Reef Fish
- Yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis) - Reef Fish
- Flathead Sleeper (Ophiocara porocephala) - Reef Fish
- Silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus) - Reef Fish
- Three Banded Razorfish (Iniistius trivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Golden rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus) - Reef Fish
- Deep Body Silver Biddy (Gerres erythrourus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-banded wrasse (Xiphocheilus typus) - Reef Fish
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Banded-Tail Glassy Perchlet (Ambassis urotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Estuary Cod (Epinephelus coioides) - Reef Fish
- Green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) - Reef Fish
- Butterfish (Scatophagus argus) - Reef Fish
- Flagfin Mojarra (Gerres filamentosus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for NICHIEI MARU (POSSIBLY)
Based on average water temperature of 29.3°C, currents 53 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins (stiff blade recommended for strong currents)
- 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