Amatsu Maru

Auxiliary tanker of about 10,560 t (about 150 m, built 1943), hit by several 1,000 lb bombs on 30–31 March 1944 and partly salvaged after the war; upright on the sand at about 40 m, the deepest Japanese wreck in Palau, with a large four-bladed propeller and a three-level bridge. Wrecks are war graves: do not touch, move or take anything – removing artefacts is illegal.

Facts

• Region: Palau
• Area: WWII wrecks – Koror & Malakal
• Depth: 30–40 m
• Level: advanced
• Current: low
• Type: wreck
• Coordinates: 7.29831, 134.44294 (approximate)
• Highlights: oil tanker, propeller, pipes and valves, black coral
• Permit: A Koror State Rock Island Use Permit is mandatory for the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (USD 50 per visitor aged 6+, valid 10 days, per the Koror State fact sheet; Jellyfish Lake needs the USD 100 Jellyfish Lake Permit instead). Permits are non-transferable and bought from Koror State (finance offices) or through your tour operator; they are usually not included in dive prices. In addition every visitor pays the USD 100 Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee (PPEF), normally collected in the air ticket. Check current amounts with Koror State or your operator.
• Issuer / contact: Koror State Government – Rangers (Law Enforcement Division)
  • Phone: +680 488-2150
  • Email: rangers@kororstategov.com
  • Website: https://www.kororstategov.com/cle.html
  • Koror State Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement; Coastal Management Division +680 488-4001, koror.rangers@gmail.com; administration +680 488-2439 / admin@kororstategov.com. Permits are sold at the Koror State Finance Office (Ngerbeched) and the Malakal Finance Field Office at the Rangers' Station (source: Koror State Visitor User Permit Information fact sheet, https://www.kororstategov.com/pdf/dcle/VUPI2016-Legal%20size.pdf).
• Unverified: Position placed by us at the right reef/pass from published descriptions (no published GPS found) – treat as orientation only; may be off by a kilometre or more.
• Tips: Two dives are usually needed; use nitrox and a deep/wreck specialty.

Sources

• https://xray-mag.com/content/wrecks-palau-liveaboard-adventure-2017
• https://fishnfins.com/index.php/dive-palau/dive-sites-palau/wreck-dives
• https://palaudiveadventures.com/wwii-wrecks-palau/