Chuuk Lagoon · Micronesia · Wreck
Hanakawa Maru
Soft and hard coral from a shallow mast to the stern
Area photo: Matt Kieffer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Hanakawa Maru is a 113 m (370 ft) ship that sank within minutes after two torpedoes struck it, and now a pretty wreck in Chuuk Lagoon. Lush soft and hard coral covers it from a mast top at 3 m to the stern at 30 m, and it makes a fine macro dive.
Also known as Hanakawa.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Chuuk Lagoon and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
One of the masts comes up to about 3 m (10 ft), and the bow deck lies at 14 m (45 ft). There the short bow gun is almost unrecognisable from some angles. A kingpost covered in coral and air vents stands on deck.
Further aft the stern deck is at 24 m (80 ft) and the deepest point, at the stern, is 30 m (100 ft). A coral-encrusted air vent and the telegraph stand at the stern, the top deck holds a display of dishes, and the coral-covered structure rewards a slow look for macro life.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Hanakawa Maru
- Type
- Freighter
- Length
- 113 m (371 ft)
- Cause
- Hit by two torpedoes within seconds and sank in minutes
- Lies
- Bow deck at 14 m, stern deepest at 30 m
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Chuuk Lagoon: December to April is the dry season, driest from January to March; June to September brings the heaviest rain.
Know before you go
- Some holds are reported to still contain aviation gas.
Photos from Hanakawa Maru
David Burdick. · Public domain
Dive videos
Hanakawa Maru,Truk Lagoon by Steve Evans · Stephen Evans on YouTube
Sources
- Hanakawa Maru — wrecksandreefs.com
- Commonly Visited Truk Dive Sites — Truk Odyssey
- Wrecks — Truk Stop Hotel
- Operation Hailstone — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- A bright yellow-green soft coral grows from a dark wreck surface against blue water. by David Burdick., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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