Silent history
“24th September 1944 - A squadron of 24 Helldiver bombers burst out of the sky above Coron Bay in the Philippines, located the Japanese supply fleet hiding among the islands below, and proceeded to blow it apart. The dive bombers had just 15 minutes to sink as many ships as possible before their fuel would get too low for them to complete the 340-mile return journey to their aircraft carrier. The attack was ruthlessly successful, and left a legacy that wouldn’t be discovered until recreational diving came to this remote part of the Philippines”.
Coron Bay, Palawan Province, Philippines
08:00 LT - There is a rather large number of people on the boat this morning. Most are completing the course to obtain their initial licence, while others, more experienced, are just chatting and getting ready for the next immersion. My morning started with a quick refresher course, as I haven’t dived in a few months.
At the upcoming two diving sites, we will explore the wreck of the Morazan Maru, an English-built passenger and cargo vessel that was captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy and used for war efforts. She sits on her starboard side in 25m of water. The Morazan's four massive cargo holds are empty, but the real treat is the pair of massive boilers in the engine room. It is possible to do a complete swim-through and pass from bow to stern without exiting the ship. The other wreck, located in East Tangat, was a small submarine chaser of which little information is known. She was sunk close to the shore, with the bow tip just below 5m and the stern about 18m below the surface.
Near the first site, the divemaster in charge of the tour hands me a torch. It looks like it will be very dark while going through the boat, which makes me feel even more excited about the experience. (And somewhat nervous). Once arrived, we can see many other boats surrounding the area, with buoys indicating the position of the many divers below the surface.
A few minutes to set up the cylinders and off we go. The pressure in my eardrums builds very quickly and I rush to pinch my nose. The visibility is not the best at this stage, and it is getting darker as we dive deeper. In the hazy waters, I can start distinguishing the 93m long shape of the vessel, with a hole on the side caused by the torpedo that sank it.
A quick look around reveals an eerie atmosphere created by the small amount of light coming from the viewing windows covered with corals. Big groupers, puffers, schools of baby barracudas, scorpionfish, sea snakes, and turtles are populating the environment around us while we are making our way through the first wreck. After a 40 minutes dive, we resurface for breakfast and head towards East Tangat.
At the second site, it will take a 10-minute swim to reach the location, allowing us to appreciate the reef passing beneath us. We eventually approach the deeper section of this dive, although still shallow enough for sunlight to filter through and give a spectacular overall view of the scenery. Swimming up towards the stern, the sight of the cannon is the first thing that draws our attention: it extends from the centre of the boat where it is attached, stretching out towards the back and covering the whole length of the deck. Now covered in corals, fellow divers are curious to have a look inside and spot the marine fauna that has nestled in it. We then access the interior of the boat through the rear viewing windows which lead next to a small kitchen entrance, then swim into the main internal deck, and finally through an open hole at the front to access the cargo holds.
Shortly before leaving the ship, I see what seems to be the remnants of rubber soles from shoes of a Japanese sailor. On one of them, someone has mistakenly written “shooz” to identify them.
The oxygen meter is now approaching reserve. Time to go.
