Bishop Museum Receives Historic Pisces V Submersible from University of Hawaii

HONOLULU (Hawaii News Now) – The Bishop Museum has welcomed Pisces V, a deep-sea submersible that has served the University of Hawaii at Manoa for nearly 40 years. Initially acquired by the university in 1985, the three-person vessel has been instrumental in exploring the Pacific Ocean, reaching depths of up to 6,500 feet to study underwater volcanoes, coral reefs, and maritime heritage sites.

Pisces V holds the record for the most dives at Hawaii’s active underwater volcano Kamaʻehuakanaloa, contributing to significant discoveries, including the locations of historic wrecks such as a Japanese midget submarine from World War II. With the end of federal funding in 2012, the submersible remained in storage, and the decision was made to donate it to the museum to support ocean science education, according to Bishop Museum President and CEO Kris Helgen.