- Kyokuzan Maru
Icons:
Location: East of Busuanga
Depth: 35-130 ft. (10-40m)
This is one of the best wreck dives
in the Coron area as the water here
is generally clear with good
visibility. The ship is upright with
little in the way of currents and it
sits in a sheltered area off
Dimalanta Island.
This Japanese freighter was
scuttled by its crew when the crew
got word of the attacks in nearby
Coron. After scuttling the ship the
crew is believed to have gone to
nearby Dimalanta Island.
The ship has two buoys on the
two masts of this five-hold freighter.
They are at the fore and aft, so
normally two dives are done here.
Starting aft, the mast and cargo
booms are covered in corals, zigzag
clams and sea anemones. The holds
are open and the hold behind the
bridge, on the port side, has the
remnants of a fancy car, complete
with whitewalls. The majority of the
ship was salvaged after the war. But
there is still a lot to see. One room
under the bridge leading to the
engine room holds the remnants of
bowls with the Japanese Navy
insignia on the shards.
The engine room is open and one
can exit through the stack hole. It is
believed the engine was salvaged
through this hole. The stack lays on
its side leaning to starboard.
For the second dive head up to
the massive bow. Swim under the
gun emplacement area and down
into the holds where there are more
car remnants, truck parts and some
odd bales that may be asbestos. Up
top around the bridge is more
marine life. Batfish are ubiquitous.Kyokuzan stack holeWhitewall tire in hold
of Kyokuzan Maru