Location: Palau
It was an early morning for me, getting up at 5:00 AM for watch, however, it was worth it just because of the incredible sunrise. After morning crepes, we pulled up anchor and began moving to the site of our dive. The dive site was the final resting place of the Japanese oil tanker Iro. Iro is 400 feet long and was built in 1922 as one of the most technologically advanced tankers of her time, but by the 30s was simplified and armed with two British-made 6-inch guns, one of which we got to see on our dive around her bow today. On her way to Palau in 1944, she was spotted by an American submarine, that blew a hole in her bow, one that we could see during the dive. She limped to Palau just in time for an American task force to attack the island, eventually sinking her. Her deck and hull now act as an artificial reef, with many coral species and fish species living on her. This is also where the remainder of the Advanced open water diving students had their first deep dive, diving to 100 feet. We stuck around for a little while after lunch, then headed back to an anchorage we were at earlier in the trip, where we snorkeled, swam, and some of the advanced open water students completed their last dive.
Pictured: Squids – credit to Gabe, Amelia going weee – credit to Gabe, Grace, Bo, and Matt taking giant strides off the boat, Study time, Ian, Ian, and Bo having an intellectual conversation about whales, the last of the AOW group doing their last AOW dive, Sunset on the bow.