Tottori Maru - Deep Wreck Dive
Eastern Route
Image: The Tottori Maru
One of our best wreck dives, the Tottori Maru was built in Scotland in the 1890's for the Japanese NYK line. She was commandeered by the Imperial Japanese Navy during WW2 and sunk by USS Hammerhead in 1945.
The wreck of the Tottori Maru lies in 75m of water on her port side. The bow had been hit by a torpedo and nearly separated from the wreck.
There is NYK porcelain, sake cups, and other porcelain all over the wreck, along with small ammunition stores and six-packs of large shells.
The Tottori was a prisoner of war transport vessel, (named Hellships), transporting 1900 Allied prisoners in appalling conditions to the salt mines of Japan. Fortunately she was not carrying POW's when she was torpedoed.
Left: Coral cover and fish cover the wreck of the impressive Tottori Maru
Right: View across the deck of the wreck
Image: A rice kettle encrusted in silt and organic growth
Image: A water boiler inside the wreck of the Tottori Maru
Image: Imperial Japanese Navy [IJN] illustration of the Tottori Maru
Image: Plans of the Tottori Maru
