TATSUBATO MARU (PROBABLY) - Hoi An & Cu Lao Cham
The Tatsubato Maru, or what we strongly suspect is the Tatsubato Maru, sits quietly in just 8 meters of water, an easily accessible piece of history off Cu Lao Cham. This steamship, bombed by US carrier aircraft in early 1945, is now an iron skeleton draped in soft corals and home to a surprising number of critters. We often spot moray eels peering from the deeper crevices and schooling snapper congregating around the more intact sections. It’s a gentle dive, perfect for newer wreck enthusiasts or those looking for a relaxed second dive, allowing plenty of time to explore the scattered debris and imagine its past.
- Location
- Hoi An & Cu Lao Cham, Vietnam, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 14.375861, 109.127050
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 8m
Best Time to Dive in Hoi An & Cu Lao Cham
The warmest water temperatures in Hoi An & Cu Lao Cham occur in August, averaging 30.7°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 24.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 24.1°C
- February: 24.3°C
- March: 25.7°C
- April: 27.0°C
- May: 28.8°C
- June: 30.3°C
- July: 30.2°C
- August: 30.7°C
- September: 30.3°C
- October: 29.2°C
- November: 27.3°C
- December: 25.4°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Hoi An & Cu Lao Cham
- 90208 - 51m (wreck)
- BRIGHT STAR - 5m (wreck)
- Cham Island - 8m-33m
- Cu Lao Cham
- CULLONG 115 - 55m (wreck)
- DNa 37068 TS - 32m (wreck)
- DNA 46182 TS - 25m (wreck)
- ENKI MARU - 40m (wreck)
- KYOKUUN MARU (PROBABLY) - 10m (wreck)
- MINH KHAI 126 - 41m (wreck)
- NAM SANH - 1m (wreck)
- OAKLAND - 0m (wreck)
- SAN LUIS MARU (PROBABLY) - 2m (wreck)
- SINAIA - 9m (wreck)
- Snorkeling spot Hon Tai
Nearest Dive Centres to TATSUBATO MARU (PROBABLY)
- Blue Coral Diving - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Hoi An & Cu Lao Cham
Home to 41 recorded species including 28 reef fish, 7 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 sharks & rays, 2 other, 1 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Flagfin Mojarra (Gerres filamentosus) - Reef Fish
- Black Spinecheek Gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) - Reef Fish
- Blackfinned triplespine (Triacanthus biaculeatus) - Reef Fish
- Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) - Reef Fish
- Black-tipped Silver-biddy (Gerres oyena) - Reef Fish
- Sharpbelly (Hemiculter leucisculus) - Reef Fish
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Coral Cerith (Cerithium coralium) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common delphinula (Angaria delphinus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- marbled spiny eel (Mastacembelus armatus) - Reef Fish
- honeycomb stingray (Himantura uarnak) - Sharks & Rays
- Bengal mudeel (Ophisternon bengalense) - Reef Fish
- Fanray (Platyrhina sinensis) - Sharks & Rays
- China Lobster (Metanephrops sinensis) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Bronze featherback (Notopterus notopterus) - Reef Fish
- Golden Flathead Goby (Glossogobius aureus) - Reef Fish
- Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfish (Scatophagus argus) - Reef Fish
- Indo-pacific tropical sand goby (Favonigobius reichei) - Reef Fish
- Deep Flounder (Pseudorhombus elevatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for TATSUBATO MARU (PROBABLY)
Based on average water temperature of 27.8°C, currents 8 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°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