USS Arkansas (BB-33)
US dreadnought battleship (commissioned 1912) placed only about 230 m from the Baker blast and sunk within minutes on 25 July 1946; she lies nearly upside down on sand, with the dented hull top at about 26 m and the seabed at about 52–55 m. The 12-inch gun barrels are among the highlights. 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: 26–55 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: wreck
- Coordinates: 11.596, 165.5 (approximate)
- Highlights: battleship, wreck, 12-inch guns, upside-down hull, technical diving
- 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.