Kinugawa Maru / Bonegi II

The Kinugawa Maru lies off Guadalcanal near the mouth of the Bonegi River, west of Honiara in the Solomon Islands. She was a Japanese transport ship run aground and beached during the naval battles around Guadalcanal in 1942, part of the fighting tied to the Tassafaronga area landings. The bow section sits in shallow water close to shore and is accessible to snorkelers, while the stern slopes down to greater depth further out, making the site suitable for a range of experience levels depending on which section is dived. The hull is broken and encrusted with coral growth, with reef fish common around the shallower structure. Shore entry from the black sand beach is straightforward, which is part of why this wreck is regularly visited despite its remote location.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Sixbar WrasseThalassoma hardwickeReported here · unconfirmed
• Percula AnemonefishAmphiprion perculaReported here · unconfirmed
• Pink Skunk AnemonefishAmphiprion perideraionReported here · unconfirmed
• Striped SurgeonfishAcanthurus lineatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Ocellate PhyllidiaPhyllidia ocellataReported here · unconfirmed
• Vagabond ButterflyfishChaetodon vagabundusReported here · unconfirmed
• Painted SweetlipsDiagramma pictumReported here · unconfirmed
• Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed