Pacific Shipwreks - Dive Palau

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INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, PHOTOGRAPHER & WRECK HUNTER

Forward by John Womack 1

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Peter Collings

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

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PART 1 DES ECRATE ONE

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I.J.N. IRO, CHUKO MARU, TESHIO MARU, AMATSU MARU RYUKO MARU, HELMET WRECK, OTHER WRECKS OF NOTE

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PART 2 THE REEFS Blue corner Blue holes Clarence Wall New drop off Big drop off German Channel S and bar Ulong Channel S iaes Tunnel S iaes Corner Negachong S hort Drop Off Peleliu The Wall The Cut Express Other sites of note Bibliography

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FORWARD by JOHN WOMACK I am John Womack Snr, BSAC First Class Diver, Advanced Instructor & owner of Otter Drysuits in Yorkshire, having dived the Brita nnic, Prince of Wales, Repulse and the Victoria plus many more over the last 40 years I would not go anywhere in the Red Sea without one of Peter's guide books. I have been on numerous successful trips of Peter's including wreck searching in Truk La goon.

Peter's new book is awesome, there are so many wrecks and to give detailed descriptions of all the wrecks themselves is great, it makes you feel like you have dived them already. I remember doing a night dive on the Thistlegorm which was just fantastic it was pitch black with pin points of light from fellow divers lights.In the south, Peter, Tom and myself went looking for the wreck of the Maidan on Rocky Island, we followed the debris tra il down to 65mtrs and there before us was the huge shadow of the wreck hanging over the abyss starting at 80 mtrs. We could only look down in wonder, but we had found what we were looking for after 10 years.

Peter's trips are a must and very much like his trips his books are a must read, Peter is a walking encyclopaedia on all things diving and ship wrecks. A lot of great ships were made in the North East and it comes as no surprise to me that this is where Peter came from too, we have been friends/fellow wreck divers a lot of years and hope to be sharing experiences and books for many more years to come.

John Womack MD Otter Watersports Yorkshire.March 2018 Otter Drysuits, UK This series of guides is respectfully dedicated to this great man. I am proud to have called him friend and shared his last dive.

JOHN MICHAEL WOMACK 23 MARCH 1943- 30TH NOV.2018

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INTRODUCTION Of all the destinations I have had the privilege to dive in a 40 year plus career; Palau stands out head and shoulders above the rest. From my first three day visit to the month leading up to this publication, Palau never failed to thrill, excite or satisfy.

Whether it was a dive to explore her wrecks, encounter her M antas, sharks and turtles or search for those elusive frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish or nudibranchs, my memory cards always came back brimming with great images and memories.

This guide is by no means definitive. Its purpose is merely a window into an amazing world, above and below.

As well as two excellent books on the wrecks, I strongly advice Palau Diving and Snorkelling Guide by Tova Harel, Navot Bornovski and Francis Toribiong. Navot and Tova have been our hosts on more than one occasion.

The republic of Palau is an island country located in the Western Pacific Ocean and the part of M icronesia.250 island form the western chain of the Caroline Islands. The capital Ngerulmud is located in M elekeok State on the nearby island of Babeldaob. The islands share maritime boundaries with Indonesia, the Philippines and the Federated States of M icronesia.

Palau’s most populous islands are Angaureldaob, Koror and Peleliu. The latter three lie together within the same barrier reef, while Angaur is an oceanic island several miles to the south. About two-thirds of the population live on Koror. The coral atoll of Kayangel is north of these island, while the 200 uninhabited Rock Islands are a marine/nature reserve. The main diving activities take place on Koror, which is linked to the mainland, Babedaob by a “new” bridge. The old one collapsed the day I first visited Palau! The islands are great to explore and there are many reminders of the bloody conflict which took place here during the Second World War, especially Peleliu.

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It’s not just the underwater experience that is unforgettable. Palau is rich in flora and fauna, and while the main islands are serviced with a good road infrastructure, some off road exploring will reveal hidden beaches, secluded coves, waterfalls and jungle. With only occasional farms and fishing villages, the trails running off the main highway are a thrill to explore. A word of advice though, it does rain, and when it does it RAINS!

Paradise is a beach; Palau has a coastline of hidden coves and palm tree fringed beaches, where the sun bleached sand gently rises from a crystal clear warm sea. Al along the northern edge of Babedaob, there are remote deserted villages which were damaged during the Tsunami. At low tide the exposed reefs become a feeding ground for many birds

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The island is riddled with exotic rivers jungle intersected with pathways. Butterflies birds and insects flourish in this unsp oilt wilderness

Look to the west. Clouds amassing over the Philippines, hundreds of miles away, rising high into the atmosp here, with only their tops visible due to the curvature of the earth.Priceless.

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PART ONE: THE WRECKS It is fair to say, like the Red Sea, Palau is not (was not) recognised as a shipwreck destination. Overshadowed

by Truk Lagoon, Palau actually has a great assortment of shipwrecks, mainly M arus and tankers akin to those in Truk.

True the conditions are not as favourable as Truk, but add to these wrecks, their colourful and different ecology and the beauty of the nearby reefs, shark and manta encounters, Palau must rate as one of the world’s top diving locations. Her shipwrecks are a bonus. Unlike the outer reefs, the visibility varies inside the lagoons but some of these wrecks, like the Iro are world class. It’s also fair to say the wreck buff will not be disappointed.

Certainly the wrecks don’t receive a lot of attention and as such are often found without other divers on them.

By relying on local knowledge and good timing the best conditions can be achieved, and the true beauty of these wrecks fully appreciated.

Again there are two sup erb publications on these wrecksDESECRATE ONE. Klaus Lindemann, WW2 WRECKS OF PALAU. Dan E Bailey M any of the vessels featured in this publication are of Japanese origin, the letters IJN preceding the ships name refer to a naval vessel (Imperial Japanese Navy). M erchant ships are designated with the word M ARU after their name. (M aru roughly translated means “to go around”). In the case of an “auxiliary naval” vessel, such as a fleet oiler, the correct designate would be IJN and not M aru. M ost Japanese vessels had their name embossed in both English as well as Japanese characters, due to international shipping procedures and canal transfers.

Map depicting the strategic importance of Truk and Palau. This is one of many mosaics depicting the Pacific campaign during the Second World War, which adorn the walls of the monoliths in the American Military Museum in Manila.

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OPERATION DECECRATE ONE

Task force 58 consisted in these operations of the carriers Enterprise, Cabot, Lexington, Belleau Wood, Cowp ens Hornet and Yorktown. The attacks took place on M arch 30th, Ap ril 1st 1944 against little opposition, not so the landings, these were to become some of the bloodiest of all the campaigns. The limestone geology allowing the Japanese to construct miles of tunnels, an almost impenetrable fortress.

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Again it was the prowess of the American’s sup erior aircraft which made this part of the operation such a success. A large number of vessels were either damaged beyond repair or sunk. With no real resistance the torpedo and dive bombers were free to target the ships with great accuracy. Over 40 vessels were recorded as being sunk. Very detailed reports of the sorties are recalled in both aforementioned books.

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IJN IRO

470ft length, 58 foot beam, Shiretoko Class Combined Fleet Oilier, 14050ton, 470 x 58 x 26ft, built in 1922, Oakas. The Iro was attacked by aircraft from the Carrier Bunker Hill as part of Task Force 58, Op eration Desecrate One, on March 30th and finished off the following day by aircraft from the Carrier Yorktown. She had been previously hit by a torpedo from the US Submarine Tunny on M arch 22, 1944 West of Palau.

The Iro sits in 125 feet, 40 metres of water, with the deck at 85ft, 27 metres. In theUnukthsp el Anchorage in the Eastern Lagoon. Her masts rise to within 8 metres of the surface. These are an added bonus with any wreck. As the wreck has not been swept her kingpost, tripod and cross bracing structures remain towering above the wreck, as well as prolonging a relatively deep dive, and a safe direct route to the surface, they provide a great decompression/safety stop. The construction of many Japanese merchant ships favoured the “kingpost� style of mast, two p arallel upright masts with a cross brace which sup ported the loading booms.

Often the comms, or radio mast would take a tripod format, and be positioned in front of the aft sup erstructure.

The fact that these masts still remain upright is testimony to their strength of build.

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Often they are a dive in their own right, and a fantastic asset to any shipwreck. M arine life has been quick to colonise these towing structures and it is fascinating to see the eco sy stem change during the accent and it’s a great opportunity to investigate the intricate invertebrate. They also p rovide a great backdrop for wide angle shots of the wreck, filling the negative sp ace nicely.

Her configuration, centre island sup erstructure, with engine room aft gives added aspects of exploration.

Between these and the raised fo’c’sle are the holds, and the masts flanking the holds.The raised fo’c’sle sp orts a huge bow gun-her barrel some 16ft long which sits on a huge platform, resembling a wheel with the gun at its hub, the decking long since rotted away. The gun is festooned with luxuriant coral trees, and a myriad of reef fishes. Her winches and anchor chains add extra interest, starboard anchor stowed, port chain running vertical down the seabed below. This area alone would satisfy a photographer for an entire dive.

Below the deck are the forward store rooms. It is very atmospheric, light streaming in through portholes and access hatches from above, with many reminders of working life on board scattered around, partially hidden in the silt.

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The bridge, ravaged by fire stands two stories high, and due to the fire and the action of the torredo worms has been reduced to a skeleton. Floors and bulkheads have disappeared, allowing access throughout both levels. The frame work is extremely colourful and photogenic, with many clues to each room’s purpose still in place. Portholes and the missing decking allow strong light to filter through. While the outer framework abounds with life, the interior fittings and sup ports are covered in orange sea squirts and other encrusting organisms. The lower floors were the crews’ quarters and care is required due to restricted headroom and hanging cables. Never the less there is much to explore here too, and stairwells lead down into below deck levels-but these areas are a serious undertaking and should not be entered without the right training and equipment.

Swimming aft along the deck, passed many air scoops hatches, stairwells and fittings the boat deck/engine house is located .Perhaps one of the major attractions of the wreck, the engine room is large as you might expect for such a ship, with her boilers, engine, workshops and catwalks, tool rooms, heater units pipework and fittings all contributing to an iconic scene, just waiting for wide angle lens. There are stairs connecting to no less than 3 levels, with much to explore and discover. Workshops and fitting rooms flank the engine assembly and gauges levers controls and valves are everywhere. The bottom level is perhaps the deepest part of the wreck down at 36 metres, Time is short, and great attention to gas and deco is required! Worthy of a dive in its own right.

Exiting the engine room the aft or poop deck sp orts y et another huge gun, again mounted on wheel like frame.

The framework gun barrel and breech mechanism are covered in marine life and like the bow gun sup port a huge amount of fish life.

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Below deck, accessed through hatches on the deck or doorway on the lower aft deck, is the steering room with its worm drive, double wheel and quadrant. All coated in a concretion which gives off a golden hue under the strobe light. Great care and good buoyancy are required in these kind of situations .It is easy to silt up the whole scene with one careless fin stroke. Portholes and open hatches allow plenty of light to percolate through, but a good dive light is essential.

One of the best wrecks in Palau. There are so many areas of the ship to explore. The wreck is covered in huge coral trees and she attracts huge numbers of shoaling fish. Her decks are covered in huge coral formations and the pipe-bridge has lattice work framing running its full length and several pump houses run deep into her hull. Coral covers these structures and provides an endless playground for the many sp ecies of fish living here.

The size of the wreck requires many dives to complete an exploration, at 147 metres long and an 18 metre beam, it can take a dive just to get an overview and each additional dive reveals new areas to explore.

Her sister ship the SATA lies close by and there is some dispute between the two leading experts as to which is which. Rarely dived it lies upside down with only a few access points, but her huge propeller is a great photo prop, and she attracts huge numbers of fish and is covered in hard corals.

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CHUKO MARU

An armed cargo ship, 1942 tons, 272 X 40 X 17. Built in 1941.She was attacked by aircraft from the Carrier USS Enterprise as part of Task Force 58, Operation Desecrate One, on M arch 30 and finished off later that day by aircraft from the same Carrier. At the time of her sinking she was at anchor in the west area of the M akalal anchorage. She lies in a depth of 40 metres, 120ft. Her deck is in 30 metres, 90ft. Her kingpost rises majestically to within 11 metres of the surface.

Today the ship sits almost upright, her foremast and king posts standing proud and her entire deck and sup erstructure sp orts vast branches of black coral, clams and soft corals. If she had not been identified her working name would surely be the “lionfish wreck” as these charismatic feathery hunters are present in huge numbers, constantly on the prowl for small fish, and great subjects (and posers) for the camera.

The wreck has a raised fo’c’sle and although there is no bow gun there is a large sp are anchor, main winch and obligatory chains running out through the fairleads to the anchors. The port anchor curiously now lies on the deck forward of the bridge, snagged by the anchor of a fishing boat, whose own anchor sits close by.

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Within the fo’c’sle, accessed through either the port or starboard door, are coils of wire, drums and other sp ares from the ships working life. Portholes and open hatches allow light to penetrate the interior. However the floor is very silty and it is easy to disturb the surreal scene. Good buoyancy is the order of the day.

There is a relatively small forward hold, with little of interest in it. A boom arm lies across the void. Very soon the bridge area comes into view. There are 3 floors above deck to explore, and again being raked by fire it is skeletal, with floors and bulkheads missing. This is a great feature, the structure adorned with encrusting life and home to many fish-and artefacts strewn around.

Due to the lack of bulkheads and floors the light penetrates from all sides, which brings out the magnificent colours bestowed by M other Nature. Photographic opportunities are endless, and resident batfish are ever present. Aft of the bridge are the two main cargo holds, both empty and not worth sp ending precious time on.

The boom arms from the loading towers lies across the hold openings. The bulwarks and gunwales covered in coral branches draping down over the hull, and these in turn provide a shelter for many smaller fish and invertebrates.

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The boat deck and engine house sit on a raised poop deck and a companionway flanks the engine room. Air scoops and a loading mast are positioned forward of the funnel which lies aft and to p ort Access to the engine room is through a door on the starboard side. All upright structures are covered in encrusting sp onges and sea squirts, which are highlighted under artificial light.

The engine room door leads to a catwalk, and flights of stairs run down to 3 levels, each with catwalk surrounding in the engine and its cavity above. Workshop s and tool rooms flank the engines, and the walls are full of control panels, switch gears, control valves and ancillary equipment.

The entire engine room is covered in the now familiar concretion which gives of a golden hue. Difficult to photograph, but the end result gives a stark portrayal of the ships working heart. There are many rust particles, not surp rising after all these years, so again careful deliberate and slow movement is the order of the day, and finite buoyancy is essential.Behind the engine room on the main deck level there is access into the steering room. Like the other wrecks it hosts a worm drive and steering quadrant complete with wheel’s to move the rudder mechanically.

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Back on the upper boat deck, behind the engine room sky lights is a short barrelled gun sitting on a turn table mount, all entirely covered in marine life. Again lionfish abound. Handrails, hatch covers and deck fittings are all encrusted and provide more photographic subjects.

Her kingpost, fore and aft mast again provide a safe, direct route to the surface and there is much to see on the ascent. Covered in corals, sp onges and sea squirts, they are home to a myriad of small invertebrates and fish.

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TESHIO MARU

Typical of all the wrecks in the area, the wooden sections have rotted away revealing her iron framework.

Luxuriant growths of coral and sponges have colonised the uprights and horizontal spars of the superstructure, providing endless subject matter for the underwater snapper.

The Teshio M aru was a Type 1C army cargo ship, 2840 tons 321 x44 x20 ft, built 1942. She was attacked by aircraft from the Carriers Bunker Hill and Belleau Wood as part of Task Force 58, Op eration Desecrate One, on M arch 30th and sunk a little over 5 miles north of the M alakal Harbour entrance west of Babeldaob.

Desp ite the wreck being heavily salvaged, it is p erhaps the most colourful of all the wrecks in these waters.

This is a sup erb dive and offers perhaps the best conditions of all the wrecks featured here. She lies on her starboard side in24 mtres, 84 ft of water, with the port side in 15metres,45ft.

Her bow boasts a foc’s’le which can be entered through one of two doors. A winch and the remains of two deck house remain on the forepeak. What is left of the holds are empty and are a jumble of twisted girders plates and pipes. However they are home to many fish including some large groupers.

The bridge section is twisted but still retains some of its structure and allows for some penetration, the ease of due to the lack of wooden floors and bulkheads. The sup porting girders are covered in health marine growth, but there is also evidence of layers of metal peeling off, the result of recent storms. It is easy to swim through several floors of the superstructure and through to the engine room and workshops. Long companionways run the length of the superstructure on both sides but the port side is easier to negotiate. From here doorways lead into her interior where the crews accommodation areas can be found as well as access to the engine room.

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The aft holds are almost un-recognisable due to the storms and the salvage and again are a jumble of confused metal, but are home to many fish and support sp onges hard, whip and fan corals. M uch of the metal work is covered in sponge and sea squirts adding colour and attracting shoals of fish.

With some of the clearest waters of any of the wreck the Teshio Maru wends itself to some spectacular wreck seascapes, bathed in strong sunlight the wreck is well illuminated and fill in flash is all that is required to restore colour to the scene. Her masts and sup erstructure help to fill the negative sp ace in the background.

The stern section is still very much intact. Two doors lead into the store rooms and steering room of the poop deck. Due to the angle of the wreck the sunlight streams down from above in a series of beams. M ost of the loose artefacts still in this area have accumulated in the lower section of the stern and are hidden by a deep a layer of silt.

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A gun still features on a raised platform, pointing aft and towards the seabed. The barrel, breach and firing mechanism are all covered in marine growth. Being on a reef the wreck has more than its fair share of local visitors which all adds to the pleasure of diving such a great shipwreck. Visitors include barracuda turtles and the occasional reef shark.

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IJN AMATSU TYPE 1 TL FLEET AUXILARY TANKER 10,567 tons, 502 x 58 x30 ft, built 1943. Bombed by aircraft from Enterprise, she was hit by 2 1000 bombs and sank by the stern. Air trapped in her forward section kept her afloat for several months until she finally sank in the West M alalkal Anchorage. She is one the largest ship wrecks in Micronesia (the Heian M aru in Truk being the biggest.)

She sits bolt upright on the seabed in 43 metres, 130ft., which makes her the deepest wreck in Palau. The M ain deck level is at 90ft with the superstructure rising up 3 storeys and as the wreck is devoid of masts, this is the shallowest part of the wreck. The wreck has a raised foc’s’le, the for peak devoid of winches due to salvage work, with storage rooms in the area below. A short fore deck leads to the 3 story sup erstructure consisting of the navigation, bridge and accommodation decks. The sup erstructure is skeletal allowing easy access and great swim throughs. This is due to the absence of wooden floors and bulkheads.

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With care it is easy to transgress from one floor to the other (start deep and work shallower for better bottom times!) There is much to see. Some of her navigational instrumentation and radio equipment still remains, much of which is covered in sea squirts and other concretions.

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The pump houses descend several levels down and offer a great photo opportunity, but these run deep and time is very short. They are also covered in a layer of silt, and as the only way out is back up, it’s likely that the return journey will be in poor viz.

A Pipe bridge runs from her centre island sup erstructure aft to the engine house, bridging the two main areas of interest. It is a latticework of sup porting beams for the pies and walkway, and provides an amazing structure for marine life. Covered in both hard and soft corals, fish find this a great haven and many sp ecies can be found While the deck is basically closed holds there are stairwells leading down to pump houses, deep into the wreck. All along the gunwales and bulwarks corals have colonised and flow over the side of the wreck.

Huge golden bushes rise up and it’s not unusual to sp ot file fishes, sweepers and other reef fishes living in this habitat The aft superstructure is flanked by companionways at deck level, overgrown with coral trees. Due to the light diver traffic they have remained intact.The boat deck and engine house are located here. The tall smokestack lies aft crushing the engine room skylight. The engine room itself is huge and merits a dive alone.

M uch of the original machinery remains. The power house of any ship, and the highlight of any wreck dive, the 3 floors of catwalks. Stairwells, machine rooms, workshops and ancillary equipment are a great photographic challenge and fantastic to explore-for those properly trained and equipped.

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RYUKO MARU

The Ryuko M aru was Type 1C cargo steamship, 2764 tons, 321 x 44 x20 ft, and built in 1942. She successfully escaped the attack on Truk Lagoon, Op eration Hailstorm on Feb 18th 1944. She reached Palau, with survivors from the Tatsuha M aru, on fire and with ammunition in her holds. She was attacked by aircraft from the Carrier Lexington as part of Task Force 58, Op eration Desecrate One, on M arch 30th and finished off the following day by aircraft from the Carrier Yorktown. Her final resting place is about 75 yards off Ngargol Island which forms the northern arm of M alakal Harbor. Her bow is at 60ft (18.2 metres) and her stern at 85 ft (26 M etres).

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Sitting upright in 125ft of water, and although she was heavily salvaged, her engines and other machinery removed, she still has much to offer the wreck diver and photographer. She lies on a bed of thick silt and visibility can be greatly reduced during a flooding tide. In ideal conditions visibility can reach 10-15 metres.

The raised foc’s’le is open and worth a look, with spares and equipment half buried in the silt..

The two forward holds are empty, so the next point of interest are the two gun mounts forward of the bridge area. The highlight of this wreck is her sup erstructure, Again this is a substantial area over three floors, the wooden decks are missing exposing the metal framework which is totally covered in very dense coral growths, sp onge and sea squirts. M ore colour come in the form of feather stars of every hue.

Below decks there are many areas to explore, including a radio room, mess room and corridors leading to stores and general accommodation. Access is via doorways along her companionways or from the connecting stairwell openings in the floors.

The horizontal and vertical sp ars which form the frame work turn into shades of orange and red under the torch or strobe light. Gentle finning is required not to stir up the silt and the penetrating sunlight gives extra illumination to the marvellous shapes and structure depicting a shipwreck.

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The engine room is a confused tangled mess caused initially by the bombs but then later during salvage operations, and is much less appealing than others on offer. None the les for the experienced wreck diver there is still much to see, with many of her auxiliary engines, gauges and controls still in place.

The two aft holds are again empty, but the deck and gunwales are covered in very heavy growths of coral and make the journey to the stern castle worthwhile. Although devoid of a gun this aft structure sp orts a very photogenic set of stairs link the upper deck to the main, underneath the landing is the entrance to the store rooms and the emergency steering assembly.

Although this wreck suffers from extensive salvage and variable visibility, its marine life is worthy of a dive.

The coral growths are magnificent and the fish life prolific and varied.Given good conditions this is a photographers paradise.

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HELMET WRECK

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THE HELMET WRECK This is a mystery ship. Little is known about her identity. Perhaps one day a registration plaque will reveal her identity but to date she has kept her secrets from us. The Helmet or Depth Charge Wreck or Helmet lays right side up in 55 - 100 ft of water with her stern shallow and her bow deep (about 100 ft). There are aircraft engines and many depth charges. (That is why she is known as the Depth Charge Wreck). Her stern has several boxes of 3 plus inch diameter shells on the top deck along with many other artefacts.

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Her final resting place is just inside M alakal Harbor, near Pincher's Lagoon and just south of Ngargol Island which forms the northern arm of M alakal Harbour. There is much to explore and the sloping attitude of the wreck allows for a nice curved profile; deco can be carried out around her stern gun. The Fo’c’sle is worth exploring during the start of the dive, working shallower through her forward holds, engine room and aft holds. The lamp room, if entered with care, can produce some great images of her lamps p artially buried in the silt.

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OTHER WRECKS OF NOTE

Jake Seaplane : This Japanese Aichi E13A Navy Type 0 seaplane fighter is a classic airplane wreck. It sunk up right atop a coral head in 45-foot depths. It is great for exploration and photography.

Nagisn maru

Passenger (troop) cargo ship, 4391 tons motorship, 362 x 50 x27 ft, built 1931 Tokyo.

She was attacked by aircraft from the Carrier Bunker Hill as part of Task Force 58, Op eration Desecrate One, on M arch 30. An hour later aircraft from the carrier Belleau Wood attacked with no hits and she was finished off the following day by aircraft from the Carrier Yorktown .

Another large wreck, lying in 130ft of water. Heavy growths of corals sp onges and scallops cover the exterior of the wreck. Two floors of her sup erstructure can be explored. The raised fo’c’sle has a gun mount but no gun. The starboard compartment of the fo’c’sle served as a lantern room. Her holds are very silty containing barrels and pipe section. Flanking the two forward holds is a mast base with several controls including a telegraph. Behind the bridge two more holds are flanked by a large kingpost with another gun mount forward of the aft hold. The stern although heavily damaged still has its rudderstand in place.

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LST T1: This 292-foot Japanese Navy landing ship suffered heavy bomb damage. It is good for penetration and exploration and features interesting armaments. It lies in 70 to 95-foot depths.

Urakami Maru: Sunk upright in 75 to 125-foot depths, this 387-foot Japanese motor torpedo boat tender has a 65-degree list to starboard. It was p artially salvaged and is good for exploration, but features fair to poor visibility.

Buoy 6 Wreck: This unidentified 100 foot Japanese fishing boat lies at the bottom of Lighthouse Channel, which leads into the main harbour of Koror, in 65 to 75-foot depths. It was sunk upright with a 10degree list to starboard along the edge of the shipping channel. It features good fish life.

Japanese Zero: This M itsubishi A6M Navy Type 0 fighter (Zeke) lies upside down in 60 feet of water.

It is a photogenic wreck, and many small fishes have made the plane their home.

Sata (Tanker):

This 470-foot IJN fleet tanker capsized in 40 to 125-feet of water. Its internal structures are collapsing, so penetrations are potentially very dangerous. The visibility is highly variable.

Kamikaze Maru: This 370-foot Japanese Navy motor torpedo boat tender was sunk upright in 80 to 115-foot depths. The partially salvaged wreck features a cargo of torpedoes and artillery shells. There is poor visibility here and poor penetration access.

Bichu/Gozan Maru: Sunk at a 60-degree angle to port in 30 to 100-foot depths, this 367-foot Japanese Army cargo ship has good penetration access.

Japanese Zero II: This M itsubishi A6M Navy Type 0 fighter (Zeke) was ditched on shallow reef near Ngeruktabel Island.

Cement Ship Lignite :

This 366-foot U.S. concrete barge sunk 70 degrees over on her port side. The fore section is exposed above water, making for interesting exploration in shallow depths.

Hafa Adai.

This post war cargo ship lies in 30metres in the Malakal Lagoon southwest of the Harbour. and although upright suffers from poor visibility.

Refer. A small refrigeration vessel sitting upright in 60ft ,20 metres in the Anchorage west of Ice box Point.It offers a good intro dive for beginners.

Kibi Maru.

A standard Army C1 cargo ship lying on its side in 20 to 37 mtrs of water. Swept by strong tides, heavily salvaged and damaged by multiple torpedo strikes.

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PART 2: Reefs and drop offs Including the wrecks, there are over 60 sites worthy of note. Some are a continuation of a great wall which reaches out into the ocean; Ngemelis 25 M iles from Koror. This wall is on a par with Shark and Jolanda in the Red Sea. Here the ocean currents sweep in full of nutrients creating a continuous flow of food and oxygen, energising the multitude of marine organisms which live here.

The first set of sites are around Ngemelis Island.

BLUE CORNER

Blue Corner is at the Northwest end of Ngemelis Island and is subject to strong currents which change very quickly. The reef hook is an essential part of executing this dive, and it should only be attempted under the sup ervision of an experienced guide .Like many of the sites there are always boats in the area, a DSM B is also an essential part of a diver’s kit.

The eastern side of the reef wall starts at 25feet (8 metres) and is covered with soft corals, the top of the wall at the plateau ranges from, 30 to 60 feet (10 to 20 meters the best depth for seeing the action on Blue Corner.

There is a cavern at 75 feet (25 metres) and a host of unusual life can be found here. As the depth increases.80 to 90 feet (25 to 30 metres) there is a large variety of smaller gorgonians and lush formations of purple, pink and white soft corals. The wall drops from 30 to 1000 feet (10 to 330metres) or more and is covered with large variety of giant Gorgonian sea fans, hard corals and soft corals.

The Eastern part of the plateau consists of large patches of sand. M assive coral heads and rocks are scattered throughout the sandy patches. The flat coral plateau on the west drops gently from 45 to 60 feet (15 to 20 metres) with colonies of cabbage corals as well as many varieties of hard and soft corals. The vertical reef wall runs south to north parallel to Ngemelis Island. The reef then turns toward the open sea and stretches out from east to west, creating a plateau at 45 to 60 feet (15 to 20 meters). Past Blue Corner the reef wall curves again and runs south to north.

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During the incoming tide, clear water coming from the open ocean brings increased visibility along the reefs, channels and inside the lagoon. The current runs along the western reefs of Palau turns at Blue Corner, hits the reef wall, flowing up and over the plateau bringing with it an abundance of clean water, plankton and algae. This phenomenon occasionally creates very strong currents. As a rule of thumb the incoming tide will flow from south to north and the outgoing tide from north to south. The current at Blue Corner is stronger, shorter and hardest to predict at the half-moon phase of the lunar month.

The top of the wall and the plateau are littered with every form of marine life, especially the photographer’s favourite, the anemone and clown fish, the underbelly or skirt of the anemone is often caressed by the “breeze” revealing some stunning colours much to the annoyance of the feisty clown fish.

Blue Corner is home to some of the largest schools of fish in the world, with just about every kind of fish found in the tropical ocean; sharks, tuna, jacks, snapper, eagle rays, giant groupers, and barracuda, . These denizens come in very close, in fact, closer than you can imagine. Blue Corner offers p erhaps one of the greatest photo opportunities in the world. According to the direction of the current, the pelagic fish will switch from one side of the corner to the other. Some of the schools are permanent residents; chevron barracudas (usually on top of the plateau), redtooth triggerfish, pyramid butterflyfish, not forgetting the inquisitive Napoleon wrasse and fly by turtles.

LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER; “He’s behind you!” The continuous parade of sharks along the wall draws the divers attention, but you just never know what’s going to creep up behind you……..

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The resident population of sharks consist mainly of greys and white tips, but occasionally black tips and silvertips join the parade. The patient and relaxed diver will note that greys in particular become bolder and more curious as the encounter progresses. The above shot was taken with a 10.5 mm Nikon prime lens, the shark’s nose being with 2 inches of the dome! From certain angles this dome produces a mirror effect; perhaps the pilot fish saw a potential victim.

After time on the wall, and if currents allow the plateau itself has many hollows, some with sandy bottoms and boulders, and here many smaller sp ecies can be found, and the odd grazing turtle.

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BLUE HOLE This is located at northwest of Ngemelis Island and north of Blue Corner and when current allows it is often the start of a dive at Blue corner, described above. This is one of the most impressive geos outside of the Yukatan cavern sy stems. The dive starts with a swim over the reef to a hole in the reef flat. The holes form the top of a very large cavern. On the face of the reef there are two exits. One is a small 15 foot (5 metre) diameter window at 45 feet (15 metres). The other is a large opening starting at 85 feet (27 metres). The bottom of the cavern is at 120 feet (40 metres). In the north end of the cavern, at 85 feet (27 metres), is a narrow entrance that leads to another cave. This cave is appropriately named, The Temple of Doom. Several people have perished in this cave, it not for inexperienced divers.

This is a very challenging feature for the underwater photographer.. Wide angle or fish eye lenses are the order of the day, but frustratingly the inner walls are covered in some amazing invertebrate species including flame tongue clam, nudibranchs and coral banned shrimps as well as lobsters.

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS DILEMA; You know the site demands wide angle or fish eye (16-10.5), so you are bound to see critters the size of your little finger or less. What do you do? For sure go W/A, but carry a small compact primed for macro. These nudibranchs were taken with a small Fuji compact, affectionately known as my “slug gun�. Job Done!

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THROUGH A DIVERS EYES. These sweetlips were so cool; they posed for the shot on the left, and waited until the second shot was taken from over the models shoulder, well at least 3 of them waited!

The wall running south towards Blue Corner has some sp ectacular whip and fan corals, reaching out in to the tidal flow to harvest nutrients. If timed right the tidal flow down this wall is very gentle allowing for a close insp ection of this amazing wall of life. The fans and whips are very colourful and show their true colours when illuminated with a flash or torch.

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The dive continues with the vertical wall on the left and merges with Ngemelis Wall at Blue Corner. On route there are many facets to the wall, ledges, cavelets, overhangs and the soft corals are very prolific and colourful.

CLARENCE WALL, VIRGIN BLUE HOLE AND FAIRYLAND The wall continues south east from Blue Corner to Virgin Blue hole and drops to 50 metres. Several canyons can be explored along the route. Virgin Blue is another vertical shaft with a hole in the roof of the reef, and an alternative start point for a dive. The exit of the tunnel/shaft is at 40 metres into a huge cavern with 2 exits, and both are filled with a wide assortment of sp ecies. Fairyland is a continuation of the reef and is sometimes known as the coral garden. There are swim throughs canyons and crevices to explore and this is a more gentle aspect to this reef sy stem and thus suitable as a check dive.

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NEW DROP OFF This section of the reef to the west of the island and is continuation of this huge sy stem and while the north consists of a gentle slope the wall plummets to well beyond diving depths. Huge shoals of fish, p atrolling napoleons, nonchalant turtles and curious groupers are just some of the regular encounters, not forgetting the sharks and eagle rays which pass through.

THE BIG DROP OFF This then is THE wall to end all walls. Pink Floyd eat your heart out. It runs the full length of Ngremelis Island. Regarded by many as the greatest wall dive and who can argue? Vertigo inducing depths beckon the unwary, pyramid butterfly fish in huge numbers contrast against the blue. Anemones and clown fish adorn ledges corals both hard and soft thrive in the nutrient rich tidal flow,

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GERMAN CHANNEL Authors note: Of all my manta encounters from the Sudan to the Maldives, German Channel has provided the most memorable. On every visit I have had prolonged encounters, not fleeting flybys and on one occasion a black, a mobula and a giant all at the same time, while others looked on from the cleaning station. They were playing, not being cleaned.

During the German occupation of Palau, guano (phosp hate) was mined on the southern island of Angaur. In order to bring the guano to town, for trans-shipment to Europe, a channel had to be excavated. The Germans blasted and dredged a channel through the barrier reef between Ngemelis and Ngercheu. Today only speedboats and shallow draft vessels can transit the shallow channel.

German Channel is the only channel in the area to funnel the outgoing and incoming tides from the inner lagoon. The result can be very strong currents through the mouth of the channel and in the channel itself. Due to fast moving water, a shallow bottom and sp eeding boat traffic the channel itself does not offer any diving.

The southwest mouth of the channel is known as the German Channel Dive Site.

German Channel runs from Northeast to Southwest. The cut through the western barrier reef between Ngemelis Island and the shallow reef that stretches north of Ngercheu Island. The channel connects the inner lagoon with the open ocean. The open ocean floor, between the two islands, rises sharply from 1000' (330 m) to 120 feet (40 m) and then gradually to 30 feet (10 meters). The northern and eastern slopes that border the diving areas are covered with large variety of hard corals.

This a sandy bottom with coral ridges, several of which are quite large and act as cleaning stations for mantas.

There are of course many other species to observe, with big schools of jacks and trevallies when the currents suit. The highlights though are the encounters with these amazing animals. They are generally inquisitive, even playful, but easily sp ooked. Let them come to you.

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Thousands of jacks will school here along with barracudas, trevally and snappers of numerous sp ecies. The sandy bottom is home to garden eels, blind gobies and mantis shrimps, to name but a few. During the incoming tide manta rays can often be seen inside the shallow channel. In the late afternoon, the mantas can usually be found feeding on plankton and krill at the mouth of the channel. Reef sharks are also known to come to the cleaning station at the mouth of the channel.

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ULONG AND THE WESTERN REEFS SANBAR This site gets its name from a small sandy island which marks the starts of the dive, depending on the current, this is a gentle sloping coral reef to a sandy seabed at 15-18 metres. Dotted with some very impressive coral heads. M any have cleaning stations. Each on a photographers delight.

ULONG CHANNEL This channel is sometimes referred to as Ngerumekaol Pass. Due to the close proximity of Ulong Island it is commonly known as Ulong Channel. Ulong Island is a great place for a picnic because of its beautiful beaches and its historical significance. Ancient Palauans painted a series of petroglyphs on the high cliffs of the island.

The unpredictable currents can make the dive quite tricky, but also mean that the life is extremely rich and varied. Titan triggers nest her and can be very territorial Best dived on the incoming tide which brings clear water. The channel runs west to east and extends most of the way through the western reef. It is 15 metres deep with a sandy bottom; favoured by resting sharks and stingrays.

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The first part of the dive is usually to drift down the wall and at the entrance to the channel hook in and watch the action, as greys, jacks barracuda and other hunters via for position. After a while un- hook and let the current do the rest. Huge lettuce corals and anemones are a major feature along with some sup erb coral formations.

This channel is sometimes referred to as Ngerumekaol Pass. Due to the close proximity of Ulong Island it is commonly known as Ulong Channel. Ulong Island is a great place for a picnic because of its beautiful beaches and its historical significance. Ancient Palauans painted a series of petroglyphs on the high cliffs of the island .

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SIAES TUNNEL

This dive borders on the safe limits of recreational diving, but Saies Tunnel is definitely one of the most exhilarating dives that you can do on Palau. This dive is NOT for novice or inexperienced divers. There is no current encountered in the tunnel. The current along the wall can be moderate depending on the direction of the tide. Siaes Tunnel is an enormous underwater cavern with three openings into the chamber from the side of the reef wall. The entrance to the cavern, which is the largest opening, starts at approximately 80 feet (28 metres) and the bottom is over 140 feet (45 metres). The sheer wall, that starts at the surface, drops down to 200 feet (65 metres) and beyond to the open ocean.

The dive starts by dropping straight down the vertical wall until you see the opening to the main entrance. The mouth of the cavern is not visible until you reach about 60 feet (20 metres). The top of the entrance at about 80 feet (28 metres). Schools of big-eye jacks and snappers along with grey reef sharks can be encountered..

Even though the cavern is more than adequately lit by natural sunlight, torches will enhance the colours of the corals and the surroundings. The bottom slopes up toward two large windows that allow light to penetrate the cavern and provide exit points to the reef wall.

There are some amazing opportunities to capture the blue of the Pacific Ocean frames by the darkened silhouette of the cave entrance, an azure window‌‌. just add schooling jacks. The arch is decorated with sup erb fans, brilliant red under the strobe light. Orange coral bushes add to the kaleidoscope of colour and within these natural structure lives a vast variety of fish, crustaceans and shrimps. If it wasn’t for the laws of physics, nitrogen absorbsion and the need to breathe the photographer would easily fill a memory card, or run out of battery which ever came sooner, and still not capture it all.

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Py ramid butterfly fish and brightly coloured antheas gather in large numbers along the outer reef wall. White tip reef sharks and stingrays are often seen resting on the bottom.. Several seldom seen angelfish fish inhabit 49

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the cavern; they are centrop yge multicolor and centrop yge colini. Look for the infrequently sighted deep-water angelfish Chaetodon burgessi hiding among the crevices at the top of the cave. Gobies and their alpheid shrimp can be found, in their shared burrows, all along the sandy bottom.

SIAES CORNER A vertical wall from 3 to 50 metres from Ulong Channel to Siaes Tunnel and is a huge buttress between the two features. On the incoming tide hooking into the plateau mid dive provides a great opportunity to encounter greys in large numbers, tuna, jacks and barracuda. When time dictates, unhook and go with the flow………every bit as good as Blue Corner, usually without the crowds.

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From entry to exit, no matter what depth, this reef abounds with life, any endless sup ply of photo subjects, intricate infrastructures of micro eco sy stems, with a catalogue of indo pacific sp ecies that could update any marine guide book.

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EASTERN SYSTEM DIVE SITES. NEGACHONG WALL/DENGES CHANNEL Ngerchong Wall is located to the east of Ngerchong Island, and offers alternative diving when the wind shifts to the west. The underwater terrain consists of walls coral garden, coral heads and sandy plateaus. A sheer wall runs north south. Depths range from 8 to 40 metres. The incoming tidal current around Ngerchong flows from south to north. This dive site usually offers the best visibility in Palau.

The wall is covered with a large variety of soft and hard corals. From September through November there are many baby Grey Reef Sharks, often accompanied by an adult.

If the tide is incoming the dive will usually start at the buoy near to the island. By keeping the wall to the left the route will take in several impressive canyons before the wall turns into a sandy bottom, this is the entrance to Denges Channel. It is a good sp ot to hook in and watch the action from sharks, jacks and rays.

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SHORT DROP OFF. This dive requires a longer journey time of 60-70 minutes from Koror, and is located at the southernmost corner of Uchelbeluu Reef. The dive is executed from north to south and runs along a sheer wall on the very edge of the Pacific Ocean. The wall is indented with long vertical canyons, all worthy of exploration. As the dive progresses there is a very large shallow sandy plateau from20 metres to 7metres.

PELALAU Pelalau Island lies some 35 miles south of Koror, 6 miles north east of Angaur, with a total area of 5 sq.miles and during the Second World war saw some of the most fierce action of the Pacific campaign.as well as superb diving it offers a great excursion ashore to investigate artefacts left over from the war. The battle of Pelaliu, codenamed Op eration Stalemate II, took place between September and November 1944.M arines from the 1stM arine division and later the 81st Infantry Division. The main target was an airstrip. Deemed to be a strategic asset in the larger operation- Forager .It was to become a bloody and costly campaign‌ for both sides.

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DIVE SITES OF PELELIU CORAL GARDEN (Orange Beach) Orange Beach was the main landing point of the American forces. The landing took place during the outgoing tide, stranding the troop s for 8 hours, taking heavy casualties. Evidence of this can be found during the dive, Remains of amtracks, aircraft and other items litter the reefs, many covered in marine growth. Perhaps this is the gentlest dive here as most of the sites are subject to strong tidal flows.

The reef runs for 6 miles and is a slope down to about 25 metres, with sandy bases filled with coral heads. A multitude of fish, invertebrates and corals can be found. Each formation having its own unique eco sy stem.

THE WALL This is a drop off that surrounds the southern end of the island, undercut in places; it has many geo’s including canyons caves and grottoes, all of which attract a vast assortment of marine life. Between 15 and 30 metres.

Strong currents flow so local knowledge is essential (as with all diving in Palau).This can be a really thrilling dive and “expect the unexpected” is the order of the day. As with all diving in Palau reef hooks and DSMB’s are an essential part of the divers’ kit. No more so than at these sites.

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From cephalopods to elasmobranchs, stalkers to hunters, predation is a key word in such an oxygen enriched environment. Throughout this entire reef complex, the rule is quite simple; the quick and the dead, the survival of the fittest.

THE CUT The Cut or Peleliu Corner is a continuation of the wall which joins Expressway and gets its name from a huge deep cut in the wall. Two walls meet at this cut, and the resulting confusion of currents brings in a multitude of fish, including many pelagic. Bull and tiger sharks have been recorded here along with blue marlin and sailfish. It has the strongest currents in the area and can be a very difficult dive to execute.

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Off all the “environments”, whether it be a wall, coral garden, cave or plateau, the current p oint is the most exciting, most rewarding and sometimes the most physical and demanding. The gathering of the clans the world over. The great invention, scorned elsewhere, the reef hook, is an essential part of diving in a current point- swimming against a current or “holding your own” limits our dive time. All the action takes p lace in the current point- more oxygen, more food, more predation, more excitement, better photo opportunities. With experience it is possible to “read” the reef. Watch the residents, they will point the way. Of course nature is unpredictable, and if the plan goes out of the window, and all else fails, go with the flow, and have your DSMB at the ready.

EXPRESSWAY As the reef runs past the tip of the island it joins with the reef from the opposite side of the island in a long down sloping buttress which sticks right out into the ocean, during sp ring tides the currents are very strong and this dive requires very careful planning.

The currents attract huge schools of fish, sweetlips, surgeonfish and rainbow runners, and of course sharks.

Every overhang, grotto crack and cave is home to an entire sp ectrum of marine life. Resident groupers, with their very own coral head, look on with a quizzical glint in their eye, perhaps we are just a tad too big to eat!

Patrolling hump heads, sometimes going solo, other times in intimidating gangs As the dive progresses along the wall, there are many magnificent fan corals often decorated with feather stars then the plateau comes into view, sloping way into deeper water and a good place to hook in and watch the action. Jacks sp iral in huge columns and turtles, often accompanied by remoras glide by. Grey reef sharks again are found in large numbers.

At every turn, every coral head,at every gulley there is an endless sup py of subject matter for the photographer,while this is a site of mind blowing wide angle vistas, the encrusting and invertebrate life is also staggering, beautiful and full of sup rises.Stone fish, scorpionsfish, frogfish can all be found by the observant diver.

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For those armed with videocameras there is an endless supply of action, following behind a grey looking for a quick meal, or simply protection. The ever curious Napoleon wrasse, coming almost within touching distance, its rolling eye ever watchfull, a great subject, ready to fill the frame.

R E D SEA WRECK ACADEMY WWW.DEEPLENS.COM TEL +441434250813, 07518161970 (m) email deeplens@aol.com M.Y. DIANA THE PREMIER RED SEA WRECK HUNTING TEAM *EXCLUSIVE ITINERARIES-NO CROWDS NO CONVOYS *FULL BOAT CHARTER FOR ALL CLUBS-GREAT DEALS

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www.deeplens.com *SUPERB, UNIQUE HISTORICAL PRESENTATIONS *WRECK HUNTING EXPEDITIONS & TRAINING *FROM THE SUDANESE BORDER to THE SUEZ CANAL *40 WRECKS / 7 ITINERARIES escorted by PETER COLLINGS SSI PRO 5000

We don’t send you there we take you there

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OTHER DIVE STES

Wonder Channel Although usually reserved for bad weather or night dives, this is a macro photographers paradise; Nudibranchs, shrimps , crustaceans, families of frogfish, reef fishes Located in the southern lagoon south of Koror, north of M echerchar.

Jellyfish Lake (Ongeim 1 Tketau) One of 8 lakes which contain these unusual jellyfish which have adapted to using photosy nthesis and track the suns movement. Usually only available to snorkelling, this famous site is located on M echerchar Island.

Soft Coral Arch On the southwest side of Urukthapel Island in the northern Rock Islands, is a naturally formed shallow channel. The sides of the channel are adorned with forests of soft corals ranging in colour from snow white to brilliant red. A shallow dive to 5 metres.

Chandelier cave This is another unusual dive. It is a cave with 5 chambers,4 metres below the surface is a tunnel running into the complex. The geological features and colours are quite amazing, but those who are claustrophobic should stay out. The bottom is very silty so if you are following someone with poor buoyancy or finning action, the exit can become very murky.

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The E book concept The idea of the E BOOK series came about after seeing so many incorrect publications quoting the wrong identity of the Tile Wreck at Abu Nuhas in the Red Sea. Despite a plethora of undeniable facts presented by myself and members of the Red Sea Wreck Academy, self procla iming experts still, for reasons known only to themselves, continued to quote the MARCUS as the CHRISOULA K. It was archive photographs from Howard Rosenstien and the location of the ships bell, which added weight to Stephan Jablonski’s accounts of the sinkings’. This new material gave us enough to produce the first E book in 2008.

Being free from restrictions it soon found its way around the world and was passed on from diver to diver. It had the desired effect-Now more and more reports carry the correct identity.

Its success lead to more titles being produced and published .Initially with an Egyptian theme, the Thistlegorm, Rosalie Moller and the Russ ian warranted a volume to themselves. Tourist authorities have noticed the importance of their assets. Wrecks are living underwater museums, and commissions have flooded in from Leros, Egypt, Truk, Palau,Sri La nka Subic Bay, and Busuanga, to name but a few.

Promoting tourism through shipwrecks” has become our mission statement, and by the end of 2017 we will have completed 20 titles in the series. We intend to update the guides annually-all free in readable format (72dpi) and in hi res, printable versions from the deeplens website for a small fee.

So now we have a total of 20 titles available, (and more on the way), yours to enjoy and pass on-to anyone who may be interested- with my compliments and don’t forget we run regular expeditions and safaris to all these featured Wrecks…The project has only just begun….

PETER COLLINGS SSI PRO 5000

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PETER COLLINGS BIBLIOGRAPHY-PUBLICATIONS 1986- 2015

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PETER COLLINGS.Peter began diving in 1970. In 1983 he wrote the first of 37 diving related bo oks, and has won several internatio nal awards for his public atio ns and underwater pho tography. His artic les and photographs have appeared consistently throughout the internatio nal diving press, including DIVE, SPORT DIVER, SCOTTISH DIVER and H20. A BSAC Advanced Instruc tor, ( Red

Sea W reck Academy) SSI PRO 5000 DIVER and TDI Advance Trimix diver, Peter has lead over 500 wrec k and photo safaris around the world, logging over 7800 dives, and along with his regular team of experts has located and identified many of the shipwrec ks in Egyptian waters.

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out now!

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