Iro (fleet oiler)
Imperial Japanese Navy fleet oiler (about 140 m, sources give 14,050–15,400 t), torpedoed by USS Tunny on 22 March 1944, bombed in Operation Desecrate One on 30–31 March and sunk on 17 April. Upright on a silty bottom at about 40 m with the bow near 20 m; coral-covered 7-inch bow and stern guns, crew quarters and boiler remain. Wrecks are war graves: do not touch, move or take anything – removing artefacts is illegal.
Facts
- Region: Palau
- Area: WWII wrecks – Rock Islands
- Depth: 20–40 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: moderate
- Type: wreck
- Coordinates: 7.277, 134.485 (approximate)
- Highlights: fleet oiler, bow gun, stern gun, sake bottles, gas masks, soft coral, batfish, sweetlips
- 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: Deep (~40 m): advanced, nitrox advised; penetration only with wreck training.