This is another Japanese freighter and like the Kogyo Maru she is very, very big at almost 178 metres in length. It is one of our most favourite wreck dives in the world at this time!

Unlike most of the other wrecks you may wish to dive on a trip to Coron this one is to be found in a small bay to the north of the island of Busuanga practically on the flight path of Francesco Reyes airport and not in the main body of water surrounded by islands which is Coron Bay proper - click on the satellite photograph to the right to bring up the location in a Google Earth window if you have it on your computer. The Japanese hoped that by spreading their ships around the many inlets of the island they might avoid American air attacks however they were sadly mistaken and the Kyokuzan became yet another casualty of the 29th. September, 1944 bombing raids. 

The maximum depth on the wreck is just short of 40 meters at the seabed and it is possible to enter the engine room from outside the wreck via the prop tunnel - I would say though that this is not for the faint of heart!!! The decks are in between 22 and 28 meters but it is worth going just a fraction deeper into the engine room down the sides of the huge boilers where you can "fly" from catwalk to catwalk. More or less intact this huge ship invariably offers the best visibility of any of the Coron wrecks and also has the most artefacts left to see inside including masses of broken pottery in the upper bridge superstructure, and Japanese staff cars and trucks in the holds. Bizarrely a low lying white mist lies in the bottom of one of the holds which turns out to be asbestos dust!

Perhaps we're now going to die of asbestosis! Oh well... c'est la mort or something else suitably Franglais as they say in Bolton!

The entire area of the wreck is home to a myriad of different fish species including some of the biggest and most curious batfish we have ever encountered. It is possible to take advantage of their already inquisitive nature even further by mimicking the grunts they make to each other as they circle around you and it is not unknown to turn and find a batfish only inches away regarding you through your mask. You just need to keep still and breath gently! There are also turtles on the wreck and on one occasion we spotted one below us at quite some distance. Imagine our delight when he clocked us and swam right up to within 4 or 5 feet before thinking better of his decision! This means that the lengthy deco stops prior to surfacing are an absolute delight. We have even been "boarded" by remoras and one particularly persistent individual would not let go of Martin until the very last part of his body left the water - the pretty blue and grey fish dropped off his heel as he lifted it onto the first rung of the ladder above the surface.

The long ride around to the tiny harbour where you get the boat out to the wreck is an adventure in itself as the ubiquitous Pilipino jeepney is not the most reliable or comfortable mode of transport in the world! Having said that some of scenery is absolutely mind blowing and it's almost worth the ride just to take in the views. Busuanga is a veritable paradise unspoilt for the most part by mankind and the virgin jungle truly is breath taking.