Dive site
Toa Maru
Gizo, Solomon Islands
- Typical depth
- 30 m
- Type
- Wreck
- Level
- Advanced
Marine life
- Macro
- nudibranchs, pipefish
- Sharks
- whitetip reef shark, occasional grey reef
- Reef fish
- lionfish, batfish, snapper, grouper, sweetlips
- Cephalopods
- octopus, reef squid
- Invertebrates
- coral and sponge encrusted hull, sea fans on superstructure
Wreck
- Vessel
- Toa Maru
- Class
- transport ship
- Origin
- Empire of Japan
- Sunk
- 1943 — sunk by USS Searaven (American submarine) off Gizo, 25 Nov 1943
- Length
- 153 m
- Penetration
- Possible — with training
Site features
- Wreck
- Penetration
- Intact
- Artefacts In Situ
- Large Structure
- Overhead Environment
When to dive
- Best
- Apr–Nov
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb
Toa Maru is one of the largest and most intact Japanese WWII transports in the Pacific — 153 m long, sitting on her starboard side in 12–40 m off Gizo. Solomon Islands climate is divable year-round; cyclone season (Jan–Mar) brings the only real disruption. Cargo holds still contain tanks, bicycles, sake bottles, and ammunition.
Conditions & access
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Water temp
- 27–30 °C
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Open access
- Min cert
- Advanced Open Water + wreck specialty for penetration; Nitrox recommended
Location
8.1000° S, 156.8333° E
Sources
Curated from 1 source
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