The Marshall Islands

The signature shark of the outer passes and walls, seen on nearly every current-swept dive across Bikini, Majuro, Arno, Mili and Jaluit.

Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)

Large schools and lone hunters patrol the deep outer walls and wreck superstructures, especially at Bikini and Arno.

Dogtooth Tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor)

Occasional visitors to the current-swept channels and outer reefs, most often reported at the passes of Majuro, Mili and the remote northern atolls.

Reef Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi)

The Bikini wrecks and the outer walls are draped in enormous soft corals, sea fans and gorgonians that shelter dense reef fish life.

Soft Corals & Gorgonians

The Marshall Islands is a sprawling nation of 29 coral atolls and five low islands scattered across roughly 750,000 square miles of the central Pacific, divided between the eastern Ratak (sunrise) and western Ralik (sunset) chains. It is one of the most compelling yet least-visited dive destinations on Earth, dominated by the legendary shipwrecks of Bikini Atoll, where Operation Crossroads in 1946 sank an entire fleet of WWII warships including the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and the Japanese battleship Nagato. Beyond Bikini, the eastern atolls hold dense concentrations of WWII aircraft and vessels, from Mili's shallow plane wrecks to the German cruiser Prinz Eugen at Kwajalein, while pristine coral reefs, outer walls and remote passes teem with grey reef sharks, dogtooth tuna, barracuda tornadoes and the occasional manta ray. Warm, clear, equatorial water, healthy hard and soft coral cover and a remarkable density of pelagic life make the Marshall Islands a bucket-list destination for technical wreck divers and adventurous reef explorers alike. Reached by air from Hawaii, Guam and Kiribati, most sites require liveaboard access or expedition logistics, which keeps the reefs wonderfully untouched.

Liveaboards are the definitive way to dive the Marshall Islands. Bikini Atoll, Rongelap, Enewetak and the remote northern atolls are essentially unreachable without a well-equipped expedition vessel carrying decompression gases, a onboard chamber and experienced technical guides. Multi-day itineraries also connect Majuro, Arno, Mili and Jaluit, opening up WWII wrecks and pristine walls that lie far from any land base. Kwajalein remains largely off-limits to liveaboards because of the US Army base, while Majuro and Arno are comfortably dived from shore-based operators.

Hotel Marshall Islands

Majuro Resort

Caleoj Wa Hotel

Marshall Islands Resort

Ailinglaplap Atoll sits in the heart of the Ralik chain and offers pure wilderness diving far from the usual routes, with steep outer-reef drop-offs, gorgonian...

Ailinglaplap Atoll

Arno Atoll lies a short boat ride east of Majuro and is renowned for pristine reefs, dramatic outer walls and current-swept passes that rival anywhere in the Pa...

Arno Atoll

Bikini Atoll is the most famous technical wreck-diving destination on Earth, where in July 1946 Operation Crossroads sank an entire fleet of captured and surplu...

Bikini Atoll

Jaluit Atoll in the southwest of the Marshall Islands blends layered history with healthy coral gardens and a pristine outer-reef wall. The Jaluit Anchorage hol...

Jaluit Atoll

Kwajalein Atoll is the largest atoll in the Marshall Islands and home to a major US Army base, which makes diving here restricted and unusual. Its signature sit...

Kwajalein Atoll

Likiep and Wotje are remote northern atolls in the Ratak chain, visited only by occasional liveaboard and a handful of adventure divers each year. Likiep Wall d...

Likiep & Wotje Atolls

Majuro is the capital and gateway atoll of the Marshall Islands, a long curved ribbon of land wrapping a calm central lagoon and opening to the Pacific through...

Majuro Atoll

Mili Atoll in the far south of the Marshall Islands is a WWII wreck heaven where dozens of Japanese and American aircraft and vessels came to rest in remarkably...

Mili Atoll

The western Ralik chain holds Enewetak and Ujelang, two of the most remote and rarely visited atolls in the entire Marshall Islands. Enewetak was a major nuclea...

Ralik Chain – Other Atolls

Rongelap Atoll is one of the most remote and least-dived atolls in the Marshall Islands, lying north of Bikini and slowly recovering from the legacy of Cold War...

Rongelap Atoll

Ailinglaplap Outer Reefs

Ajeltake Reef

Arno Pass (North & South Passes)

Arno Wall

Arno Wrecks

Carlson Wreck (Oil Tanker)

Eneko Island (Enemanet)

Enewetak Atoll

HIJMS Nagato

Jabor Reef

Jaluit Anchorage Wrecks

Jaluit Wall

Kalalin Pass (South Pass)

Kwajalein Lagoon Wrecks

Langor Island Reef

Laura Beach Lagoon

Likiep Wall

Majuro Harbour Wrecks

Mili Airport Plane Wrecks

Mili Lagoon Wrecks

Mili Pass

German Cruiser Prinz Eugen

Roi-Namur Reefs

Rongelap Lagoon

Rongelap Wall

Rongrong Reef

Saratoga's Helldiver (in hold)

Japanese Cargo Ship (Toyotsu Maru)

Ujelang Atoll

USS Anderson

USS Apogon

USS Arkansas

USS Carlisle

USS Gilliam

USS Lamson

USS Pilotfish

USS Saratoga

Wotje Atoll - WWII Wrecks

International flights arrive at Majuro (MAJ), primarily via Honolulu with United Airlines and via Guam and Kiribati. Air Marshall Islands provides inter-atoll flights to Kwajalein, Mili, Jaluit, Arno, Likiep, Wotje, Ailinglaplap and the northern atolls, while Bikini and Enewetak are reached by expedition liveaboards and charter vessels. On Majuro, rental cars, taxis and scooters provide local transport, and dive boats reach the nearby reefs.

Liveaboard Diving in The Marshall Islands

Experience Overview

Featured Operators

Bikini Atoll Expedition Liveaboard

Marshall Islands Atoll Explorer

Remote Reach

Booking Advice

Where to Stay in The Marshall Islands