Teshio Maru

The Teshio Maru is a Japanese medical ship in Palau, near Koror. She was built in 1942 and sunk in 1944. She is 98 metres long and 14 metres wide, and broke in two. She lies tilted along a sandy slope at 14 to 24 metres, with the shallowest part, the port side, at about 14 metres.

Divers find preserved artifacts on the wreck, such as helmets, sake bottles, kitchenware and even weaponry. The wreck is adorned with colourful soft corals, schools of glassfish and reef fish. Local stories tell of patients who perished aboard when she sank, and she is said to still hold gold in her holds.

Visibility is 10 to 30 metres with little or no current, and Advanced Open Water certification with Nitrox is recommended. Wreck penetration requires technical training, so do not enter. Wartime remnants such as unexploded ordnance, mines and shell casings may be present, and must not be touched.