Kiryo Maru 1 - Rottnest Island snorkelling

The Kiryo Maru 1 was a Japanese tuna boat, about 36 metres long, that went aground some 50 metres off Cathedral Rocks on 6 August 1984 while heading for Fremantle. One seaman swam ashore with a line and the other 17 crew followed him safely. She is the most recent wreck on the Rottnest heritage trail.

An environmental study group advised leaving her where she lay, because removing her could have badly damaged the fragile reef. She has since broken up: what remains is scattered, weed-covered steel in shallow water at the foot of the cliff, much of it under the breakers, with a few rusting pieces visible at the cliff base.

This corner of the West End takes the full force of the ocean swell and is very rarely calm enough to enter, and fur seals frequent the rocks nearby. The site lies inside the West End Demersal Sanctuary Zone.

• Experience level: Advanced
• Depth: 2-9 m (wreck about 5 m)
• Access: The wreck lies about 50 m off the cliffs at Cathedral Rocks, West End, mostly under breaking waves. Treat it as a boat site, as the WA Museum/RIA trail does. MAAWA says it can be snorkelled from shore in good weather, but only in exceptionally calm conditions (dive guide: swell under 0.5 m). West End (Island Explorer Stop 11) has public toilets at Cape Vlamingh. Fur seals use the area, and RIA has a Boating Prohibited Area around the seal rocks.
• Modern Wreck (1984)
• Japanese Tuna Boat
• 36 Metres Long
• Cathedral Rocks
• Scattered Wreckage
• Fur Seals Nearby

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