Cenderawasih Bay · Indonesia · Wreck
Shinwa Maru
A 120 m Japanese transport on her side, blast holes and all
Area photo: Rogistira · CC BY-SA 4.0
A 120-metre Japanese transport ship that went down off Mansinam Island and now lies on its side between 16 and 34 metres, the best known wreck in the Manokwari corner of Cenderawasih Bay. Two large blast holes in the starboard side record how she was lost. The depth spread lets you work the shallow end long after the deep end is finished.
Where it is and how deep
0.9060° S, 134.1021° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The hull lies on its side across a depth range from 16 to 34 metres, which shapes the whole dive: go deep first along the lower flank, then work back up the length of the ship as your gas and no-decompression time allow. At 120 metres long she is more than one dive's worth of steel, so the usual approach is to pick a half, bow or stern, and cover it properly rather than swimming the whole length and seeing none of it.
The two large blast holes in the starboard side are the clearest evidence left of how the ship was lost, big enough to read from outside the hull. Because she is on her side, the orientation takes a moment to settle: decks run vertically, and openings that would be hatches on an upright wreck are now windows in a wall. Keep a reference on the hull rather than on the seabed, which falls away as you follow her down.
Finish shallow. The upper end of the wreck at around 16 metres gives somewhere useful to spend the back half of the dive, and it makes a comfortable place to hold a safety stop against the structure rather than drifting off it. She sits off Mansinam Island near Manokwari, at the western end of Cenderawasih Bay, and is reached by liveaboard.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Shinwa Maru
- Type
- Japanese WWII transport ship
- Length
- 120 m (394 ft)
- Cause
- Two large blast holes in the starboard side
- Lies
- On her side at 16 to 34 metres off Mansinam Island
The Shinwa Maru was a 120-metre Japanese transport ship that sank off the coast of Mansinam Island, near Manokwari at the western end of Cenderawasih Bay. Her name translates as "friendly spirit", which sits oddly against the two large blast holes torn in her starboard side, the damage that consigned her to a future lying on her side between 16 and 34 metres. She remains the most famous wreck in this part of the bay, one of a cluster of Second World War hulls in the waters off Manokwari.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Cenderawasih Bay: Whale sharks feed at the bagans all year; most liveaboards visit from June to October, when rough weather around Raja Ampat pushes routes into the sheltered bay.
Know before you go
- The wreck spans 16 to 34 metres and lies on its side, so depth creeps easily while you follow the hull; fix a turn depth and time before dropping in.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Shinwa Maru?+
She lies on her side across a range of 16 to 34 metres, so the deep flank is an advanced-level dive while the upper structure stays within reach of a longer, shallower pass.
How big is the Shinwa Maru wreck?+
The ship is 120 metres long, which is more than most divers cover in one dive; picking the bow half or the stern half is the usual approach.
Sources
- Cenderawasih Bay Diving Sites — Dive The World
- West Papua (province) — Wikipedia
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