Two researchers who helped discover an over 80-year-old Japanese warship say the experience was thrilling and galvanized two countries decades after World War II.

Why It Matters

On July 12, a team aboard the Ocean Exploration Trust's Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus located the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki on the seafloor of Iron Bottom Sound, in a stretch of water at the southern end known as The Slot between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Island of the Solomon Islands.

Teruzuki—meaning "Shining Moon" or "Illuminated Moon"—was a 134-meter Akizuki-class destroyer commissioned in 1942 and built to defend aircraft carriers from aerial attack. The destroyer, serving as a flagship to Tactician Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka, was lost during surface combat operations in the Guadalcanal campaign.

On December 12, 1942, Teruzuki was struck by two American Mk-8 torpedoes near Cape Esperance, disabling the rudder and igniting fires. Tanaka and most of the crew survived; however, nine sailors were killed before the ship ultimately sank.

Researchers deem the vessel's sinking and discovery as a significant moment in maritime archaeology and World War II history.

A photo of the remnants of the Teruzuki, found at a depth exceeding 800 meters using cutting-edge seafloor mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology. Ocean Exploration Trust

What To Know

The wreck was found at a depth exceeding 800 meters, akin to approximately a half-mile or 2,625 feet, by using cutting-edge seafloor mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology.

The target was initially identified by the University of New Hampshire's uncrewed surface vessel (USV) DriX, then visually confirmed by ROVs launched from E/V Nautilus.

The Ocean Exploration Trust’s Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus located The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki on the seafloor of Iron Bottom Sound on July 12, 2025. Ocean Exploration Trust

Dr. Larry Mayer, director of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire who is onboard leading the team conducting the uncrewed surface vehicle mapping, told Newsweek that during an exclusive interview on Tuesday that the crew came out to the area with some type of knowledge of the position of 10 to 15 of the wrecks that had been found before and surveyed before.

They knew there were "many, many more," as many as 100 wrecks on the bottom.

He explained how the Nautilus with the ROV can go down to a known target and get spectacular imagery, while at the same time, the DriX has a higher resolution sonar on it and independently maps many areas of Iron Bottom Sound that are verified by researchers.

"So, we see what a known target looks like," Mayer said. "We came first day and saw what a cruiser looked like from the DriX. And from that, keep it mapping, keep it mapping.

"We have a series of now potential targets, and the Teruzuki was one of those targets that we had identified from the DriX. We didn't know what it was. It hadn't been identified before."

Commissioned in 1942, Teruzuki—meaning “Shining Moon” or “Illuminated Moon”—was a 134-meter Akizuki-class destroyer built to defend aircraft carriers from aerial attack. Ocean Exploration Trust

The discovery also included a self-admitted "accidental find." After they finished surveying the vessel's main body, they moved away and, about 200 meters away from the main body, found the Teruzuki stern—which Mayer called "super exciting."

Teruzuki's discovery was extra special for Hiroshi Ishii, a Nautilus science team member and program-specific researcher at the Center for Southeast Asian Area Studies at Kyoto University. He confirmed the destroyer's identification.

He told Newsweek that he and others onboard were unsure whether the "massive" structure they found was an American ship, Japanese, or even Australian.

"As a Japanese person, I appreciate that someone cares about this shared history between the U.S. and Japan," Ishii said. "Also, as a Japanese person, we don't know much about this battle.

"I'm an archaeologist, so I know much, much more and focus on this part of the history, but in general, most of the Japanese know about the canal but don't know much about the naval battle in general."

Mayer said the discovery has brought "great excitement to our Japanese colleagues," with Ishii adding that historical tenets related to Teruzuki were essentially nonexistent. This is the first crew to knowingly find this vessel in over 80 years.

"I feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Ishii said. "This is a big team effort and I'm just lucky to be here and to identify this."

What People Are Saying

Phil Hartmeyer, marine archaeologist for NOAA Ocean Exploration, in a statement: "The discovery of Rear Admiral Tanaka's flagship Teruzuki was made by a multidisciplinary, international team who together documented its remains, uncovering Teruzuki's significance to former combatant, and now allied, nations. Only by exploring our planet's unknown waters can these significant stories of sacrifice and human connection to our ocean be brought to light."

What Happens Next

Mayer said that mapping in the region will continue, in part as a very exciting scientific program going on with another vessel that's using a higher resolution sonar to map a coral reef to formulate three-dimensional reconstructions of the reef structure. That continues until July 23 before new crews take to the seas for other similar missions in different regions.

Correction 07/16/25 2:02 p.m. ET: This article was updated with the correct spelling of Dr. Larry Mayer's name.

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