Olympia Maru

The Olympia Maru's second life has been a comedy of nametags. The freighter now dived under this name near Tangat Island spent years in guidebooks as the 'Tangat Wreck', while other Coron hulls borrowed and returned her identity; archival work has since argued that this hull may in fact be the Morazan Maru, a former Hong Kong trader — and some operators now brief her that way. What is certain is the ending: she was one of the ships caught at anchor by the US carrier strike of 24 September 1944 and went down onto her starboard side in moderate depths east of Tangat. Ambiguity has cost her nothing as a dive. Her long holds are open and swimmable with daylight always somewhere in view, making her the bay's favorite introduction to wreck diving, and her shaded hull has become a reef in its own right. Bring a torch for the boilers, and let the guides argue about the name on the bow.

How she sank: Sunk by US carrier aircraft in the Coron Bay raid, 24 September 1944.

Condition: Stable and welcoming; her identity is debated in print, her structure is not.

Penetration: Limited. Hold-to-hold swims are gentle and bright; the engine spaces demand wreck training and careful finning. Entering any overhead environment requires specific training — a wreck certification at minimum, technical wreck training for full penetration.

Recommended certification: Advanced Open Water

Current: Mild · Visibility: 5–15 m

Marine life: Sweetlips and grouper hold the holds, sponges and soft corals carpet the port hull, and cuttlefish and banded sea kraits appear on the sand line.

Hazards: Reduced visibility periods, silt in enclosed corners, and small-boat traffic above a busy site.

Protected wartime wreck; Coron local dive fees apply.

Removal of anything is prohibited, whatever name the wreck answers to.