Yes, it was due to heavily contested naval action at a time the USN was still learning the ropes, and the IJN was at the peak of its power...for every soldier or Marine killed in the theater, four sailors were killed.
Remarkable.
The best book I have seen on this subject that conveys it well is “Neptune’s Inferno”.
Read it twice. Also an excellent read: Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by the same author. About Leyte Gulf.