Gizo · Solomon Islands · Wreck
Toa Maru Wreck
A Second World War transport lying on its side, with a workshop and crew quarters to enter
The Toa Maru is a 6,700-ton Japanese transport ship sunk in 1943 and one of the most popular WWII wrecks in the South Pacific. The 140-metre hull lies on its starboard side down a slope off Gizo, from 7 m to 37 m, and experienced divers can join guided tours inside.
Also known as Toa Maru, Tao Maru.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Gizo and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The ship rests on its starboard side on a slope, so the hull runs from 7 m at its shallow end to 37 m at its deepest. It sank after an American attack and remains largely intact, still scattered with sake bottles, medical supplies, office equipment and ammunition; bombs, a motorbike and a Type 21 tank are among the larger pieces. Experienced divers can join guided tours inside, through the workshop, the crew quarters and the dining area. Turtles and rays visit often, and a coral garden over the top of the wreck makes a colourful place for the safety stop.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Toa Maru
- Type
- Japanese transport ship
- Length
- 140 m (459 ft)
- Sunk
- 1943
- Cause
- Sunk after an American attack
- Lies
- On its starboard side down a slope, from 7 m to 37 m
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Good |
Season follows Gizo: Diving runs all year with no monsoon season; November has the least wind, though it can be muggy.
Know before you go
- Penetration of the workshop, crew quarters and dining area is done only on a guided tour for experienced divers.
Dive videos
Diving the Toa Maru in Solomon Islands · Jarad Warren on YouTube
Sources
- Toa Maru Wreck — Dive Gizo
- Dive Gizo at Fatboys Resort — Fatboys Resort
More dive sites in Gizo
An intact WWII fighter plane sitting in a sunlit lagoon
Grey reef sharks cruising past schools of fusiliers and jacks off the point
Wall
Large nudibranchs on a wall that begins in the sand of a small bay
Wall
A knoll covered in yellow soft corals found nowhere else around Gizo
Similar dives elsewhere
A 35 m hull, then an SUV and a helicopter on the way back
A 145 m provisions ship with its deck areas at 28 to 35 m
A 35-ton seaplane crane on a warship lying on her side at 35 m
An upright Dutch-built freighter scuttled off Kubu