Coron · Philippines · Wreck
Akitsushima Wreck
A 35-ton seaplane crane on a warship lying on her side at 35 m
Area photo: Ray in Manila · CC BY 2.0
The Akitsushima is a 115 m seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy, sunk at anchor in Coron Bay by US carrier aircraft on 24 September 1944. She lies on her port side, the shallowest part of the hull at about 22 m and the sand at 35 m. The 35-ton crane that once lifted flying boats aboard is the feature divers come for, and trained wreck divers can work three decks down to the engine room.
Where it is and how deep
11.9868° N, 119.9735° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The ship lies over on her port side, so the starboard flank is the top of the wreck at about 22 m and the sand is at 35 m. Decks that should be underfoot stand vertical instead, and the route runs along the hull rather than down a centreline. Take a reference on the descent line and count bottom time from the start: at this depth it is short, and the current that sometimes crosses the wreck can make the swim back slower than the swim out.
Head aft for the landmark. The crane that hoisted flying boats onto the after deck is intact and now rests on the sand, and the tracks the aircraft ran on lead forward to an anti-aircraft gun mount. Two machine guns sit near the crane, and the funnels and radio tower are still clear enough to read as parts of a warship rather than as rubble. Near the stern is the impact hole from the hit that nearly tore the ship in two.
Divers with wreck training can enter at several points and work through three decks, including the command room and the engine room, where four engines sit in the dark alongside the machinery that drove the crane. Outside, scorpionfish and lionfish seem to be everywhere on the plating, and yellowfin and dogtooth tuna, giant groupers and schools of sweetlips, batfish and barracuda patrol the hull, though for the size of the wreck the fish are not numerous.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Akitsushima
- Type
- Imperial Japanese Navy seaplane tender
- Length
- 114.8 m (377 ft)
- Built
- 1941
- Sunk
- 1944
- Cause
- Bombed by US Task Force 38 aircraft; a hit near the stern nearly split the ship in two and she sank
- Lies
- On her port side in Coron Bay, shallowest point about 22 m, sand at 35 m
Kawasaki laid the Akitsushima down in October 1940 and launched her in July 1941, and the Imperial Japanese Navy commissioned her on 29 April 1942. She was a 4,650-ton seaplane tender built to maintain and resupply flying boats, lifting them onto her after deck with a 35-ton crane, and she served at Saipan, Rabaul and the Shortland Islands during the Guadalcanal campaign. On 24 September 1944 she was one of the ships caught in Coron Bay by aircraft of US Task Force 38; a hit near the stern nearly split her in two, and she went down onto her port side.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Tuna
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime |
Season follows Coron: Dry December to April brings glassy seas and the best visibility; in the wet months bad weather sometimes stops diving.
Know before you go
- At 35 m on a hull lying on its side, orientation is the problem before air is; fix your reference on the descent and keep it.
- Current over the wreck can run strong, and with 35 m of depth that is part of why the site is kept for advanced divers.
- The interior is dark and the ship is big, so penetration calls for wreck training, a primary light and a backup.
Dive videos
Diving The Akitsushima Wreck in Coron Bay · BonaFideWorldGuide on YouTube
Scuba dive into and through Akitsushima wreck · anonymixx on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Akitsushima wreck?+
She rests on her port side on sand at 35 to 36 m, and the shallowest part of the hull is about 22 m. That depth, and a current that is sometimes strong, make her a dive for advanced divers.
How big is the Akitsushima?+
She is 114.8 m long overall with a 15.8 m beam and a standard displacement of 4,650 tons. Many dive guides round her length to 118 m.
Can you go inside the Akitsushima?+
Yes, with wreck training. Divers can enter at several points and explore three decks, including the command room and the engine room with its four engines. The interior is dark and deep, so it calls for a primary light, a backup and a planned gas turn.
What sank the Akitsushima?+
Aircraft of US Task Force 38 on 24 September 1944, in the raid that sank the Japanese ships sheltering in Coron Bay. A hit near the stern nearly tore her in two, and she sank onto her port side.
Sources
- Japanese seaplane tender Akitsushima — Wikipedia
- Coron Bay — Wikipedia
- Outline of recreational dive sites — Wikipedia
- Diving sites Philippines Coron — Dive The World
- Akitsushima dive site — PADI
- Akitsushima dive site — Divezone
In The Logbook
- Deep wreck diving: where recreational stopsWrecks · 8 min read
- WWII wrecks you can dive, by theatreWrecks · 7 min read
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