Books & Media

Underwater Museums: What Remains of WWII in the Pacific

Dive into the submerged history of the Pacific theater of WWII where ships, planes, submarines, and military surplus rest beneath the waves. 

Author(s):
Brandi Mueller
Underwater Museums by Brandi Mueller
Works by Our Contributors
Books
Brandi Mueller

Explore the underwater museums preserved in time through stunning photography from award-winning photographer, and X-Ray Magazine contributor, Brandi Mueller, and captivating firsthand stories of diving the wrecks and the history of how they came to rest at the bottom of the sea.

Books & Media

Underwater Museums: What Remains of WWII in the Pacific by Brandi Mueller

Explore the submerged remnants of the Pacific theatre of WWII, where ships, planes, submarines, and military equipment now rest beneath the ocean's surface. Award-winning photographer Brandi Mueller captures these underwater time capsules in stunning photography, alongside gripping firsthand accounts of diving the wrecks and the stories of how these relics found their final resting places.

Author(s):
Brandi Mueller
Underwater Museums: What Remains of WWII in the Pacific by Brandi Mueller
Works by Our Contributors
Brandi Mueller

From sunken planes near Guadalcanal and Sherman tanks off the shores of Saipan to forgotten medical bottles inside a ship meant for American soldiers in Vanuatu, WWII has left a wealth of underwater artefacts. The twisted remains of war—symbols of destruction and loss—now serve as vibrant coral reefs, bustling with marine life in the Pacific's depths.

X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Fluoroscent Photography Underwater

On a night dive in the Philippines several years ago, I had an opportunity to do a "fluoro" night dive. Atlantis Dive Resort rented blue underwater flashlights and yellow filter shields that went over divers' masks. Geared up, I set off into the night. The blue light was very dim and the dive was much darker than a normal night dive. After a few moments of wondering what exactly I was doing underwater in the blackness of night, my eyes started to adjust and the first fluorescent colors started to show up.

Words:
Brandi Mueller
Images:
Brandi Mueller
Download the full article as pdf ⬇︎
Photo & Video

I suddenly felt like I was in a neon video game with the underwater world transforming into vibrant greens, reds and yellows. A bright, glowing light snaked across the sand, and on closer inspection, it was an eel that was vivid green. Later in the dive, I saw the outline of a red fish in the sand. It turned out to be a scorpionfish with only the outline of its body glowing reddish-pink while its lacy appendages along its body did not. Hard corals, which during the day were a bland ivory color, were now dazzling green and yellow, with tinges of maroon.

X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

To Shark Dive or Not to Shark Dive

It was seven in the morning and my coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. The dive guide was giving me a slightly more thorough dive briefing than normal. I wasn’t supposed to wear anything colorful or shiny, and black gloves and a hood were required. Also covered in black neoprene, he was putting on chainmail gloves and told me he’d have a pole with him. He said it was more for the potato cods though, not the sharks.

Words:
Brandi Mueller
Images:
Brandi Mueller
Download the full article as pdf ⬇︎
Ecology & Science

Taking a giant stride off the back on the boat, the chill of the water snapped me out of my early-morning haze. Below me, the sharks were already there; at least ten were circling below the boat. The food wasn’t even in the water yet, but the sharks knew the drill: The boat shows up, divers jump in, and eventually, they get a snack.

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