Extraordinary Diving Around The World
Coron/Philippines
Diving In Coron Bay
Coron Bay one of the Islands of Palawan, Philipines is regarded as "the other Truk Lagoon". In 1944 task force 38, part of the US 3rd fleet, and under the command of Admiral William Hasley attacked 20 enemy ships. First aerial reconnaissance had revealed only islands; however, subsequent photo’s revealed these "islands" had moved. The Japanese had placed trees on the decks of the ships in order to disguise them. 45 minutes into the attack 18 vessels were sinking. The raid set a new record for long distance raids 350 miles. The result was, like Truk Lagoon, a legacy of shipwrecks that would later amaze the diving community.
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Name: Akitushima
Specification: Seaplane Tender. Japanese navy. built 1942, 9000tons, turbine engines, six 5in Anti Aircraft guns, 20 AA machine guns. This was the only warship sunk in Coron Bay. She was a 118m long Japanese sea plane tender. The planes (Kawanishi) would be lowered to the sea by crane and take off from there. She is situated just northwest of Manglet Island.
Remarkably, she is fairly intact bearing in mind that she took a direct hit towards the stern where the flying boat was kept and sank immediately. She was almost torn in two and the flying boat was never found. Only some of the metal on the starboard side and bottom prevented the ship from breaking apart.
In fact, the bottom - the keel - is a good place to enter the wreck. Once you negotiate the twisted metal, you will see the gun placements in front of you. Other gun placements can be found outside the wreck by following the radio mast. They are at the bottom, pointing downwards.The crane used for lifting the flying boats is still intact and lies on a sandy bottom. Because of the depth and amount of twisted metal around, no swim throughs are allowed unless proper certification is shown - namely wreck diver credentials. For those of you able to proceed, you'll be rewarded by an impressive penetration to the engine room, where all four engines are intact. Further to the stern, you can find the gears and machinery for operating the crane. The wreck attracts a good amount of marine life. You can expect to see shoals of barracuda, tuna, yellowfish, grouper, snapper, batfish and a huge assortment of smaller reef fish.
Location: Coron Bay
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Name: Kogyo Maru
Specification: Built in 1938 6353 ton, 423ft steamship with turbine engines. Loaded with a cargo of construction materials including bulldozers and cement mixers.This was a Japanese freighter carrying construction materials for the building of a runway in the Pacific. She is 158m long, displaces 6,353 tons and situated to the north of Irako Wreck, just off Tangat Island. The vessel is pretty much intact and as most swim throughs are large, it is a good first wreck dive for beginners. Care, as always, should be taken though.
Lying on her starboard side in 38m of water, access is possible to all six holds, the engine room and the bridge. The second hold is a real treasure trove. Cement bags are evident and you'll come across a bulldozer, tractor and air compressor, all of which are intact and encrusted. As you come out of the hold, you can swim the height of the front mast, now horizontal and reach the crow's nest at the top.
Swim back over the deck to the engine room and bridge above it. Access is easiest from the stern side. The engine room is enormous and there's plenty to see. If your air allows, continue below deck to the stern and you'll discover all the deck equipment for moving cargo and working the ship. Marine life includes giant pufferfish, waspfish and barracuda. Soft and hard corals are everywhere as are sponges.
Location: Coron Bay
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