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A yellow and blue striped surgeonfish swims over branching coral against a dark green background — Morotai

Morotai · Indonesia · Wreck

Wawama Wreck

Two Australian Bristol Beaufort bombers among jeeps and tyres off a South Morotai village.

Area photo: Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0

Wawama Wreck is the WWII wreck point off Wawama Village on the south coast of Morotai, where aircraft, tanks, ships and jeeps left by the war lie on the seabed. Divers come for two Bristol Beaufort bombers of the Australian Air Force, which rest on a sloping reef at the limits of recreational diving with jeeps, trucks and tyres scattered around them.

Also known as Wawama Wreck Dive Point, Wawama, Bristol Plane Wreck, Bristol Beaufort wreck.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Wawama Wreck: typical dive to 50 m (to 164 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit50 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 60 m (197 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

2.0367° N, 128.3014° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The wreckage is spread down a sloping reef to 45–50 m. Two Bristol Beaufort aircraft rest at the limits of recreational diving with jeeps, trucks and lots of tyres scattered around them, and another wreck lies firmly in technical territory at 50 m. Wreckage of fighter planes, tanks and ships also lies off the village, so a dive here is a tour of a war graveyard rather than a single hull.

The wreck

Vessel
Two Bristol Beaufort aircraft and other WWII wreckage
Type
Australian Air Force WWII bombers and vehicles
Cause
Not recorded in published sources
Lies
On a sloping reef reaching 45–50 m off Wawama Village, among jeeps, trucks and tyres, with another wreck at 50 m

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Wawama Wreck
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeFairFair

Season follows Morotai: Calm dry-season water from March to November; rain from November to March, when mobulas also visit GaloGalo from February.

Know before you go

  • Depth and occasional low visibility make the WWII wrecks around Morotai challenging dives, run only under strict supervision.
  • Any chamber treatment means evacuation to Manado or Darwin, far from the dive point.

Dive videos

Diving di Wawama Wreck Dive Point, Saksi Bisu Perang Dunia Kedua Part 02 - Geopark Indonesia 07/04 · SINDOnews on YouTube

Questions divers ask

Can recreational divers see the Wawama wrecks?+

The two Bristol Beaufort aircraft sit at the limits of recreational diving and need Advanced Open Water and a deep diving certification. The other wreck at 50 m is a technical dive.

Sources

  1. Diving The 'Top End' of Indonesia — Divernet
  2. 6 Fun Activities to Do in Morotai SEZ — Jababeka Morotai
  3. Fun Dive — Gorango Morotai
  4. Diving in Morotai — Metita Resort
  5. FAQ — Metita Resort
  6. North Halmahera & Morotai — Malaillo Liveaboard
  7. OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap

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