Morazán Maru (former Olympia Maru)

Wreck

Freighter and passenger liner built in England, 1908, sold to Central America, where she served (among others) the route between Honduras and New Orleans. Captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy in Shanghai 1941 and used as an Auxiliary Cargo Vessel.

The origin of this vessel was for long time unknown and many funny or completely wrong statements were made about this mysterious ship. Just recently, in 2006, Marc Julius, a German dive master and wreck-maniac, was that ambitious to check out the secret behind this ship. During the divemaster-course of his wife Eva, the wreck became first time precisely mapped by Marc and Eva and they found out, that e.g. the totally length of the ship is 93m (300.3”)only, instead of fantasy-length of 120m and more you can find this sort of nonsense written in many specifications in the internet, magazines or other publications. By means of this detailed mapping, many other evidences and weeks of research in the internet, Marc could disclose the secret of this beautiful wreck. Chapeau! Well done, Mr. Julius!

The Morazán Maru is one of the most popular wrecks of Coron, because of her beauty, rich fish life and relatively easy level. She is lying on her starboard side in 25m of water.

Four big Cargo holds makes it easy to penetrate the wreck. The empty engine-room (the single steam-engine got salvaged in the 60´s) with two impressive boilers left is one of the highlights. Beautiful mysterious atmosphere is there because of the day light coming in from the salvage-hole in the hull, which is rich covered with hard and soft corals.

Big groupers, puffers, schools of baby barracudas, crocodile fishes (flathead), plenty of scorpion fishes (watch out where you put your hands!), occasionally black and white bended sea snakes and turtles.

There is a usually calm, sometimes mild current and the visibility is 3-15m depending on conditions.
Recommended Dive Level: Open Water, Wreck Diver (for deeper penetrations)
Recommended EAN-Nitrox: 36%

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