Overview:
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. returned to the depths of history — and danger — by diving the WWII Helmet Wreck, now cleared of 429 live depth charges. What was once a ticking time bomb threatening Malakal Harbor is now a safe site ready for divers, thanks to a six-year, $4 million cleanup effort. Whipps calls it a victory for safety, tourism, and international partnership.
By: Laurel Marewibuel
KOROR, Palau (Monday, Dec. 15, 2025) — President Surangel Whipps Jr. peered into the empty hatches of the long-sunken Helmet Wreck on Monday, a stark contrast to the explosives-packed hazard he first dove more than 30 years ago. The WWII-era ship, just off Malakal Harbor, once held 472 leaking depth charges — a ticking time bomb threatening the island nation’s main port, fishing boats and tourism divers alike. “Imagine if they exploded,” Whipps said after surfacing from the dive. “Maybe the port would collapse. We wouldn’t be able to unload cargo.”
The multi-year cleanup, completed with help from Japan through Japan Mine Action Service (JMAS) removed 429 depth charges in a painstaking operation that cost nearly $4 million and took over six years. Divers worked daily to detach, relocate, surface and dispose of the ordnance — a process Whipps called “a lot of effort” to avert catastrophe.
Now clear, the wreck can reopen as a tourism gem, easing worries for Palauans who once avoided the site. “Seeing that everything is gone, I think is a relief,” Whipps said. “Safe for our harbor … and now we can go dive it again.” He credited the Japan Mine Action Services (JMAS) and partners: “We’re grateful to Japan, Australia, United States, NPA for their efforts to clean this up.” The project underscores Palau’s reliance on allies, Whipps added. “Palau alone cannot do it. We don’t have the resources, we don’t have the technical people.”
President Whipps being interviewed by Laurel Marewibuel of Island Times before his dive of the Helmet Wreck. (Photo credit: Office of the President)
The effort bolsters Palau’s push for a mine-free Pacific, as voiced by Minister of State Gustav Aitaro in Geneva. “Most importantly, we don’t ever want to see war,” Whipps said. “But unfortunately, it’s something that happened … For the safety of divers, for the safety of boaters, for the safety of fishermen, it’s important that we clean up these sites.”
As Palau prepares to chair the Pacific Islands Forum next year, Whipps plans to spotlight UXO cleanups and environmental safety under the “ocean of peace” banner. “These are the scars that remain from World War II,” he said. “We need to continue to encourage our partners … It’s not only in Palau. It’s all throughout the Pacific.”
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