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Four orange anemonefish with a white head stripe nestled among the pale tentacles of a rust-red anemone — Rabaul & Simpson Harbour

Rabaul & Simpson Harbour · Papua New Guinea · Wreck

Manko Maru

Twisted wreckage that still shows the damage of the attack that sank her

Area photo: Barry Peters from Greer, SC · CC BY 2.0

The Manko Maru is a smaller wartime wreck sitting upright in about 25 m near the main wharf in Rabaul Harbour. It is easier to reach than the bigger hulls in the caldera, penetration is possible, and the ship now holds a wealth of marine life even though the visibility in this part of the harbour is not great.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Manko Maru: typical dive to 25 m (to 82 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit25 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

4.1985° S, 152.1728° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The wreck sits upright on the bottom at around 25 m near the main wharf, in an area where the visibility is not great. Damage from the allied attack that sank her is plain to see in the twisted structure. Penetration is possible inside the hull, and marine life has settled thickly over the whole wreck.

The wreck

Vessel
Manko Maru
Type
Wartime ship
Cause
Sunk by an allied attack
Lies
Upright in about 25 m near the main wharf in Rabaul Harbour

Marine life and season

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

Month-by-month season rating for Manko Maru
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFair

Season follows Rabaul & Simpson Harbour: May to October is the best stretch; December to March is the wettest, though only marginally wetter than the rest of the year.

Know before you go

  • Visibility in the water around the main wharf is not great.

Sources

  1. Diving Rabaul’s Wrecks, Reefs and Jetties — Indopacificimages
  2. Your Essential Rabaul Diving Guide — Underwater Asia
  3. OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap

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