Rota · Northern Mariana Islands · Wreck
Shoun Maru
A 122 m (400 ft) freighter often visible end to end from the surface
The Shoun Maru is a Second World War Japanese freighter, more than 100 m long, that sank in 1944 and now lies in Sasanaya Bay. It sits upright and splayed wide open with its bottom at 33 m, and on most days the whole hull can be seen from the surface. White-tip sharks and spadefish hover above it.
Also known as Shoun Maru wreck.
Where it is and how deep
14.1286° N, 145.1467° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The bow still sits high in the water column, so the descent drops onto a hull that is in view from the start. The bottom of the wreck is at 33 m, which makes this a deep dive on which air consumption needs close watching. Garden eels rise from the sand around the hull.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Shoun Maru
- Type
- Japanese freighter
- Length
- 122 m (400 ft)
- Sunk
- 1944
- Cause
- Sank in 1944, during the Second World War
- Lies
- Upright and splayed wide open in Sasanaya Bay, bottom at 33 m
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Rota: Rota Hole is at its best from March to September for the light beams; the Shoun Maru is dived year-round.
Know before you go
- Currents on the wreck can be very strong, and they are at their most intense during spring tides.
Dive videos
How we dive...Rota Dive Sites: Shoun Maru · Random Adventure & Interest on YouTube
Sources
- Dive Sites of Blue Palms Rota — Blue Palms Rota
- Diving into the CNMI — Outdoor Japan
- Sasanhaya, Rota — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in Rota
Cave & cavern
A tunnel that climbs from the drop-off to open water near the surface
Cave & cavern
Shafts of sunlight beaming down into a cave
Wreck
A former China river ship seized in a smuggling bust and sunk for divers
Similar dives elsewhere
Upright 58 m wreck, ten minutes off Waikiki
Navy yard oiler upright, top deck at 26 m
Shrimp and goby burrows in the sand under the propellers
Soft and hard coral from a shallow mast to the stern