On December 7th, 2016, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer dove on two Japanese mini-subs that sank 75 years earlier, during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The USS Ward fired the first shot of the Pacific War, sinking this submarine 90 minutes before the air raid on Pearl Harbor. This attack marked the introduction of the United States into World War 2. Highlights from the dives on these submarines can be viewed below:

More photos and illustrations of the mini-subs and the USS Ward are available on the National Marine Sanctuaries website.

Be sure to check for updates on the upcoming field season on the Okeanos Explorer Home Page, the Nautilus Live Homepage, the Inner Space Center website, and on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Cool highlights  from the 2016 field season (like this ghost catshark) are available on our YouTube channel!

Featured image: Conning tower of Pearl Harbor Mini Sub. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Exploration and Research, 2017 Shakedown Cruise.