West Papua Scuba Diving

Cross Wreck

Named after the large cross on the shore nearby, this Japanese Navy patrol boat has laid here at a depth of around 18 metres since World War II.

It is probably the most accessible of all the wrecks in this part of West Papua as it is close to shore and reasonably shallow. That is not to say that you will not find this dive entertaining, indeed quite the opposite. The ship's lamps still stand in place or lay on the deck, blown down by the explosion. On the rear of the ship you can see 2 rows of depth charges.

There is no shortage of coral cover on the exterior and there are plenty of wreck dwellers such as lionfish hanging around inside. More interesting however, is exploring the various rooms of the vessel. You can poke around in the communications room, engine room and front hold checking out such features as the switchboard and ammunition.

This also makes for a great night dive as huge Napoleon wrasse and bumphead parrotfish choose the Cross Wreck for their evening's resting place. West Papua diving reports are of regular sightings of 2 huge Napoleon wrasse of 2 metres in length as well 10 bumphead parrotfish each over 1 metre long.

Back outside the wreck as you head for home you would be wrong to expect an uneventful swim back up the slope to the island. Keep your eyes out for all manner of critter action going on here from octopus to leaf fish, from devil fish to mantis shrimp, your decompression time on this dive can, figuratively speaking, leave you breathless.

Cross Wreck Reef Basics: Wreck diving
Depth: 10 - 18m
Visibility: 10 - 30m
Currents: Gentle
Surface conditions: Calm
Water temperature: 27 - 30°C
Experience level: Intermediate
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: March to November
Distance: ~300 km east of Sorong (15 hours), at Mansinam Island, Manokwari Bay
Access: West Papua liveaboards

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