Japanese Shipwreck

Overview

The Japanese Shipwreck is a shore dive at Banyuning, east of Lipah on the Amed coast of north-east Bali. Amed Jepun Divers calls it Amed's iconic wreck dive: a relatively small, coral-covered vessel next to a coral reef. Evolution Diver describes it as a small coastal vessel of about 20 metres. None of the three sources says where the vessel came from or how it sank, and this record makes no claim about its history. SSI's dive site guide on scubago gives the position -8.3645, 115.7011, which is the point used here; it lies about 100 metres off the OpenStreetMap coastline, and OpenStreetMap marks a point named Japanese shipwreck Banyuning about 80 metres from it.

How the site is dived

All three sources describe a dive from the beach. SSI says porters wait on the beach and that the pebble beach can make entry and exit difficult when there are waves. The wreck is shallow, though the sources give different figures: 2 to 10 metres (Amed Jepun Divers), 4 to 12 metres (Evolution Diver) and 1 to 8 metres (SSI). Amed Jepun Divers says most dives start at the wreck and then continue left or right along the reef, which it calls one of the healthiest in Amed, with large acropora colonies, brain corals, porites boulders, sponges and soft corals. SSI says the wreck suits snorkellers and freedivers but is very limited for scuba divers, and that the coral scenery is beautiful.

Depth

For the whole site Amed Jepun Divers gives a maximum of 30 metres and an average of 12 metres, and Evolution Diver gives 3 to 35 metres. This record uses 30 metres as the maximum and marks it disputed.

Marine life

Amed Jepun Divers names leaf scorpionfish, glassfish inside the wreck, clownfish in anemones, nudibranchs, trumpetfish, stonefish, crocodile flathead, moray eels and, possibly, pygmy seahorses on sea fans. Evolution Diver names porcupinefish, nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, barracuda and damselfish. SSI mentions an anemone with clownfish at the bottom of the wreck, scorpionfish, nudibranchs and trumpetfish.

Conditions and level

Amed Jepun Divers rates the site for all levels and calls it perfect for beginners. SSI warns divers to be careful of upwelling currents. These are operator statements, not measurements. No source gives a current strength, water temperature, visibility range or season that this record uses.