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.

Het moment waar je voor komt: The coral-clad bow gun; kingposts silhouetted overhead; big morays and batfish patrolling the superstructure.

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

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

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

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

Nitrox: Hier de moeite waard: profielen liggen in het bereik waar nitrox de no-stop-tijd zinvol verlengt (met de juiste training om het te gebruiken).