The Shinkoku Maru is probably the most beautiful oil tanker in the world. Her deck is a carpet of soft corals and sponges in vibrant – almost impossible – colours. Vast gorgonian sea fans waft slowly back and forth in the gentle and warm current. The tentacles of metre-wide anemones, in whites, oranges, greens and purples, offer symbiotic shelter to their resident clownfish.
Schools of silvery baitfish dart around the vast masts and kingposts that tower above her cargo holds. Pursued by predators, each rapid flash of their thousand-strong collective catches what little sunlight reaches down through the azure waters of Chuuk Lagoon, here in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The 150-metre Shinkoku is one of about 50 vessels of the Japanese Imperial Navy that were sunk in a little-known but pivotal battle of the Second World War, often referred to as Japan’s Pearl Harbour.
A brief history of Operation Hailstone
Before first light on February 17, 1944, a vast US carrier group in the western Pacific launched Operation Hailstone, the first of a series of attacks on Chuuk, then Japan’s largest naval base outside the home islands.
Over two days of aerial bombardment, the Americans would destroy hundreds of the infamous Zero fighters – lined-up on runways or in aerial dogfights – render airstrips unusable, raze barracks, mess halls, offices and fuel storage facilities, and ultimately cripple the enemy’s expansionist ambitions.
A primary aim was to sink much of Japan’s fleet, at anchor around the lagoon and its many islands, either delivering supplies or already under repair from previous run-ins with the Allies. However, Japan suspected an attack was imminent and was able to get most of its capital ships – destroyers and battleships – out of the lagoon before the onslaught.
What remained – tugs, tenders, oilers, personnel carriers, supply and cargo vessels – would be rich picking, and under heavy bombardment from bullets, bombs and torpedoes, they were sent – along with thousands of their officers and crew – to their final resting place.
Today, these ships are often in remarkable condition considering the nature of their demise and decades underwater. Recognised as the finest wreck diving in the world, over more than 80 years, they have become a symphony of steel and coral.
Diving monumental wrecks
Tropical rainstorms of the past two days have passed over Chuuk, and the skies above this tiny island state are cloudless and clear, the water warm and calm.
From our base on the comfortable 40-metre Odyssey liveaboard boat, within reach are the rusting hulks of a dozen vast sunken ships, a submarine with a particularly tragic and horrifying end, and even the remains of a Japanese “Betty” bomber that crashed into the sea on landing or failed to take flight on take off.
Shinkoku Maru lies upright at a maximum depth of 40 metres, and she is an early (and relatively easy) introduction to a week of deep, dark and dirty diving to this ghost fleet.
It is never less than exhilarating to descend through the water column as these colossal feats of heavy engineering, constructed as steam power made way for diesel, appear through the relative gloom.
The port side of her steel hull has been rent open in a torpedo strike and, wiggling clumsily through the gap, there are hard turns, sharp and quick ascents and descents, all the while being ever-careful fins don’t kick up decades of accumulated silt.
Moving slowly through the darkness, torches illuminate dials and gauges, walkways and steps, cylinder heads atop engines that once powered the drive shafts that turned the mighty propellers.
On other vessels, there are tool rooms – lathes, presses and drills still in place – and shelves stocked with the rotting remains of the myriad day-to-day items needed to keep these ships moving.
There are radio rooms – coils of antennae still visible – and galleys with woks sitting over what would have been open flames to cook for the crew their rations of rice and fish.
Many of the ships’ bridges have collapsed over the years, but where they survive, the telegraphs – “full ahead”, “full stop” – are often in situ.
Every ship contains marvels – heavy diggers and steamrollers that were never offloaded; cars for the officers, their windows blown out presumably by the change of pressure as the ship sank; and lots and lots of artillery.
There are the parts of Zero fighters, their component engine, fuselage and wings ready for reassembly that would never happen. There are periscopes stowed on the deck of a submarine tender, replacement propeller blades braced against bulkheads, and long-lance torpedoes, their warheads detached for safe transportation.
On the decks of these vessels, the anti-aircraft deck guns fore and aft still point upwards in what would be a failed attempt to fight off the aerial assault. Magazines of shells are often within reach.
Below decks are the soles of shoes, blue naval uniforms still folded for use, a box of matches lies in the sediment, and – incredibly, considering the years and the saltwater – a comic book. Medicine kits of tiny vials and ampules are housed in beautiful boxes. And countless empty bottles once filled with sake or beer litter vast open spaces.
As much as the massive engineering is awe-inspiring, it is these smaller items that remind every diver in Chuuk that these vessels are more than only the visible remains of a total war.
War graves
Since the 1970s, with the rediscovery of these ships by the famed explorer Jacques Cousteau, most of the remains of the thousands who died have been reclaimed by the Japanese and cremated in the Shinto tradition. But there are bones – these are war graves and should never be treated as anything less.
A high point of the week – and one of the reasons for my return after seven years – would be the San Francisco Maru, resting upright at a maximum depth of 67 metres.
Known as the Million-Dollar Wreck, her holds and tweendecks are filled with thousands of hemispherical beach mines, shipped to Chuuk in preparation for an amphibious Allied assault that never came.
Elsewhere, scores of 500lb and 1,000lb artillery shells are piled high alongside countless bullets, large stocks of torpedoes and depth charges. On her decks are three battle tanks, in place since she came to a thunderous rest on the seabed in 1944.
Like many other wrecks in Chuuk Lagoon, she is deeper than recreational dive limits allow – meaning long periods of decompression – but the effort is never less than the reward.
Today, the remnants of Operation Hailstone rest beneath the tranquil waters of Chuuk Lagoon, silent witnesses to a battle that shaped history. What was once a scene of destruction has become a sanctuary where corals and marine life thrive among the rusting hulls of war.
To dive here is to move through history, past shattered steel and lost artefacts, reminders of human ingenuity and the cost of war. Eight decades on, Chuuk Lagoon remains a paradox – a war grave and a place of endless renewal.
How to get there from the UAE
Travelling to Chuuk takes more than a little planning. After a direct flight from Dubai to Manila with Emirates airline, United Airlines flies to Guam, a US territory with visa requirements. From Guam, United has daily flights to Weno.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducatly%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohmmed%20El%20Sonbaty%2C%20Joan%20Manuel%20and%20Abdelrahman%20Ayman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducation%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%242%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEnterprise%20Ireland%2C%20Egypt%20venture%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20HBAN%2C%20Falak%20Startups%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
The five pillars of Islam
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Match info
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
