Underwater Museums
Dive into the submerged history of the Pacific theater of WWII where ships, planes, submarines, and military surplus rest beneath the waves. Explore the underwater museums preserved in time through stunning photography from award-winning photographer, 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.
From airplanes lost in the depths of Guadalcanal and Sherman tanks swamped off the coast of a beach in Saipan to medicine bottles deep within a ship intended for American soldiers in Vanuatu, WWII left behind an abundance of relics underwater. Mangled metal associated with destruction and lost lives litter the seafloor of the Pacific theater. The wrecks have been transformed into prolific coral reefs teeming with fish and life.
Go on an adventure to the underwater museums of little-known Kwajalein Atoll; the world-famous wreck diving destination, Truk Lagoon; Guam, where two WWI and WWII ships touch; an anchorage in the Philippines where a fleet of Japanese ships that thought they were safe and out of range of US aircraft; and the WWII ships, submarines, and planes that rest at the bottom of Bikini Atoll after finishing out their service as targets for Operation Crossroads.
This journey into the past will immerse you in extraordinary locations and includes stunning images and captivating firsthand stories from visiting these captivating museums.
Available on amazon
The Airplane Graveyard
Extraordinary images, never before published in book form, of the forgotten American WWII Airplanes at the bottom of the Kwajalein Atoll lagoon, from award-winning underwater photographer Brandi Mueller.
At the end of WWII, around 150 American airplanes, all veterans of the Pacific war, were dumped in the lagoon of Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. A master diver and superb underwater photographer, Brandi Mueller has dived to depths of 120 feet to capture rare images of these forgotten war birds, many looking as if they could still take off and return to the war-torn skies at any moment.
Encrusted in coral, these haunting aircraft are now home to a colorful array of tropical Pacific marine life, including fish, turtles, and even the occasional shark.
Discover the stories of these historic aircraft, their heroic role in the Pacific Theater of WWII, and how and why they ended up here.
In The Airplane Graveyard, Brandi takes you below the ocean’s surface to discover the forgotten remains of Douglas SBD Dauntless, Vought F4U Corsair, Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, Curtiss C-46 Commando, Grumman F4F Wildcats, Grumman TBF Avengers, and an astounding eleven PBJ-1 Mitchell Medium Bombers. The haunting images are accompanied by a text that includes a historical account of the aircraft by military historian Alan Axelrod.
***** OUTSTANDING BOOK! November 12, 2021
This is a great book. Beautiful pictures and well written.
***** Enthralling Photos and Fascinating History July 19, 2019
I bought this book for my 5th grade son who was studying WWII for school. I wanted to show him elements of the war that are a less discussed. This book did not disappoint. The information is truly fascinating and held my sons attention as well as my own. The photos are absolutely stunning. They transport you on a journey to bottom of the ocean and give you an amazing glance into the past.
***** Wonderful journey through the past! January 9, 2019
OK...I'm jaded, I spent two years on Kwaj 2007-2008, racking up countless dives in the beautiful lagoon. I've had the pleasure of seeing first hand wonders, such as the Prinz Eugen, and many others. This fine book brings back the memories that are beginning to fade, and I am so very grateful to have this reference. Excellent photography, and nice writing as well. It's nice to read the history about the wrecks, and the brave airmen who once flew them. Thank you Brandi.
***** Fantastic book! July 16, 2019
Such a cool book, if you're a fan of scuba diving, underwater photography, and/or WWII history this is the book for you. The pictures are amazing, the text is well written and informative, you can pick it up and enjoy the pictures or read it cover to cover, it's a fascinating story that many people don't know much about. Highly recommend :-)
***** Beautiful Book December 21, 2018
Ordered this book as a gift but had to page through it before I wrapped it. By page through it, I mean I ended up looking at every page, even though I myself have zero interest in WWII Warbirds. What beautiful photos! Simply breathtaking! This book would make a wonderful gift and is a must have for anyone interested in WWII or this area. Two thumbs up!
***** Gorgeous and Informative January 2, 2020
What a beautiful book and a fascinating read! The photos are simply stunning and evidence of history that is just below the surface. Has position of pride on my coffee table.
***** Beautiful book with amazing photos! December 10, 2018
Beautiful book with amazing photos and great info on WWII in the pacific. Highly recommend!
***** Book review January 2, 2019
One very great read
***** Amazing photos and details of historical WWII aircraft July 16, 2019
Great book and aircraft photos highlighting a historical WWII sight. Brandi is an amazing photographer and historian. I discovered her work and this book after diving with her in Fiji. She is an expert in this area of the world for diving and her photography is simply amazing. If you like airplane wreck photos and WWII history, this book needs to be in your library. I have a signed copy and gave one to a friend as a gift.
***** Unique Fun Book July 16, 2019
If you enjoy underwater photography and wrecks this is a unique find and very fun book. I bought 3 so far one for me and two to give to fellow underwater enthusiasts.
***** Great for a WWII airplane buff! February 6, 2019
My husband knew all about these fighters and was thrilled to look at the beautiful, haunting photos in this book. It has stayed on our coffee table for 2 months so he can look at it constantly!
***** Next best thing to diving these wrecks yourself! July 17, 2019
I had the privilege of diving some of the sites in this book with Brandi and I have greatly enjoyed seeing her spectacular photographs combined with the history of these wrecks. If you’re an airplane geek, diver, or both... you need this book!
***** A Great Gift January 26, 2019
I was gifted this book for Christmas and love it. It has large pages with vibrant photographs of tropical scenes, underwater flora and fauna, and plane wrecks that have a sort of hauntingly feel about them. The authors go into detail about WWII history along with some personal experiences living and diving these remote islands. If you know someone with an interest in diving, aviation, WWII history, or remote tropical islands I would highly recommend this book.