San Francisco Maru
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Nicknamed the Million Dollar Wreck for the cargo she took down, the San Francisco Maru is Chuuk's deep prize. Three light tanks sit queued on her deck as if awaiting orders, trucks and staked mines fill the holds, and shells lie stacked where stevedores left them in 1944. The depth keeps her pristine: little coral, little traffic, details crisp in the darker water. She is also unambiguous technical territory — main deck around 50 m — and the lagoon's history of divers hurt here belongs in every briefing. For qualified teams she compresses the whole story of Truk into one descent.
The moment you come for: Light tanks on deck; mines and munitions in the forward holds; an almost undisturbed 1944 time capsule.
Topography: Upright hull on the lagoon floor at roughly 63 m, main deck near 50 m
Entry: A planned decompression dive run with technical support; recreational divers should choose a shallower wreck.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Depth, narcosis on air, mandatory decompression, and munitions throughout the cargo; this wreck has claimed lives — plan and staff the dive accordingly.
Conservation: A protected historic wreck carrying live ordnance and human history; its untouched state is the entire point — leave it exactly as found.
Who you'll meet
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting