Iro Maru

The Iro was a Japanese navy fleet oiler, torpedoed by an American submarine on the run in to Palau and then finished at anchor when carrier aircraft swept the lagoon at the end of March 1944. She sits upright, enormous and dignified, her bow gun still trained at nothing, kingposts rising toward the light and furred in black coral and soft corals. Most tours circle the deck at 22–28 m — winches, fuel piping, and the huge gun platforms — while the engine spaces reward properly trained penetration teams. Lagoon visibility is moderate, which if anything improves the atmosphere.

The moment you come for: The coral-clad bow gun; kingposts silhouetted overhead; big morays and batfish patrolling the superstructure.

Topography: Upright hull on a silty lagoon floor at roughly 36–40 m

Entry: Moored dive in sheltered lagoon water near Koror; descend the line to the kingposts.

Hazards: Depth and lagoon silt; residual oil and munitions in closed spaces; penetration only with wreck training and lights.

Conservation: A protected historic wreck of a violent chapter — artifact removal is illegal, and the site deserves quiet respect.

Nitrox: Worth it here — profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).