HIJMS Nagato
Japanese battleship (the only Japanese battleship to survive WWII) used as a target in Operation Crossroads; lightly damaged by Able, she capsized and sank five days after the Baker test and lies upside down. The hull begins at about 28–34 m, the propellers are at about 33 m, the huge 16-inch guns hang from the hull and the lagoon floor is at about 52 m. Grey reef sharks and turtles are reported around her. Residual radiation on the wrecks is described by the operator as negligible; the real risks are depth, decompression and the lack of a recompression chamber nearby. Do not eat locally grown food on Bikini (soil caesium).
Facts
- Region: Marshall Islands – Bikini, Kwajalein & Majuro
- Area: Bikini Atoll
- Depth: 28–52 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: wreck
- Coordinates: 11.599, 165.505 (approximate)
- Highlights: battleship, wreck, upside-down hull, 16-inch guns, propellers, grey reef sharks, turtles
- Permit: Bikini is closed to casual visitors: access needs prior approval of the Kili/Bikini/Ejit (KBE) Local Government (Bikini Council), and visitors pay marine, park and port fees that go to the Council and are collected by the liveaboard operator (Master Liveaboards: US$550 per person in 2026–28 listings, non-refundable). In practice the permit is arranged by the expedition operator; there is no regular land-based dive operator. Removing artefacts from the wrecks is forbidden.
- Issuer / contact: Kili/Bikini/Ejit (KBE) Local Government (Bikini Council)
- No official phone, email or website found; the KBE constitution places its principal office at the Town Hall on Majuro. Permits are in practice arranged through the expedition operator (e.g. Master Liveaboards, dive@masterliveaboards.com).
- Unverified: No published GPS found for this wreck; the pin is placed inside Bikini Lagoon near the Crossroads anchorage and is only indicative – the operator knows the exact position.
- Tips: Technical dive only (TDI Advanced Nitrox & Deco Procedures / PADI Tec 45 or equivalent, 100+ logged dives); penetration needs overhead-environment training. Take no souvenirs.