Japanese cruiser Sakawa —

Overview

The Japanese cruiser Sakawa is a well-preserved wreck lying upright at a depth of 60 meters in Bikini Atoll. Sunk as a target during the 1946 Operation Crossroads nuclear tests, the ship offers a unique historical dive. The hull remains largely intact, attracting pelagic fish and showcasing significant coral growth.

Briefing note

Diving the Sakawa requires advanced technical diving certifications due to depth and potential currents. Strict regulations and permits are in place due to its historical significance as a nuclear test site and the ongoing monitoring of radiation levels, though current levels are generally considered safe for diving.

What you'll see

5 species curated

Grey reef shark
year-round
Peak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Barracuda
year-round
Peak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Tuna
year-round
Peak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Jackfish
year-round
Peak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Hard corals
year-round
Peak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec

Sightings evidence

1 record on file

Grey reef shark
high confidence
Last confirmed
May 2026
Recent records
130 within 10 km
Cluster months
Year-round

Sources & methodology

How we summarise this

We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.

Sources

Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
Wildbook (Sharkbook, Whale Shark, Manta Matcher) — Wild Me
OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
FishBase — FishBase Consortium
Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation

Conditions

Month	Water	Visibility	Current
Jan	27–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Feb	27–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Mar	27–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Apr	28–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
May	28–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Jun	28–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Jul	28–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Aug	28–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Sep	28–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Oct	27–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Nov	27–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate
Dec	27–30 °C	20–40 m	moderate

Season calendar

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Peak season highlighted · current month outlined

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