USS Kanawha

The USS Kanawha (AO-1) was a United States Navy fleet oiler torpedoed by Japanese aircraft on 7 April 1943 while at anchor off Tulagi island. She sank in approximately 45 metres and rests upright on the sandy bottom with her superstructure rising to around 20 metres, making her one of the more accessible deep wrecks in Iron Bottom Sound. Coral encrustation is exceptional — sea fans, soft corals, and hard corals cover the hull in dense profusion — and the wreck hosts large schools of fusiliers and sweepers that swirl through the open bridge structure. The engine room remains largely intact and can be penetrated by experienced divers. This wreck sees far fewer visitors than the more celebrated Toa Maru and offers a genuine exploratory feel.