Rio De Janeiro Maru

The Rio de Janeiro Maru lies in Chuuk Lagoon near Uman Island in the Faichuk group, one of the Japanese vessels sunk during the American air raid Operation Hailstone in February 1944. It was originally a passenger liner converted to naval use, and the wreck now rests on the lagoon floor in the range of roughly 15 to 35 metres depending on which part of the hull is being explored. Divers commonly find engine room machinery, bathtubs, and other passenger fittings still recognizable amid the coral growth that has colonized the superstructure. The size and depth spread mean it suits divers with some wreck experience, particularly for penetration into the lower decks. Marine life around Chuuk wrecks generally includes reef fish and encrusting corals that have taken hold on the steel over the decades.

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

• BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
• Lined BristletoothCtenochaetus striatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Bleeker's ParrotfishChlorurus bleekeriReported here · unconfirmed
• Masked RabbitfishSiganus puellusReported here · unconfirmed
• Whitetail SurgeonfishAcanthurus thompsoniReported here · unconfirmed
• Surf ParrotfishScarus rivulatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Humpnose Bigeye BreamMonotaxis grandoculisReported here · unconfirmed
• Yellow-barred ParrotfishScarus dimidiatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Peacock DamselPomacentrus pavoObserved near here · iNaturalist
• Bluefin TrevallyCaranx melampygusObserved near here · iNaturalist
• Bigeye TrevallyCaranx sexfasciatusObserved near here · iNaturalist
• Threadfin ButterflyfishChaetodon aurigaObserved near here · iNaturalist