Truk, as it is known by most divers, has officially changed
its name to Chuuk, and along with Yap, Kosrae and Pohnpei,
they make up the Federated States of Micronesia.
Chuuk state consists of seven major island groups lying
within the Eastern Caroline Islands, the total land mass
of Chuuk state, including the outer islands, is approximately
77 square miles (128 km). The state is sparsely populated
with a total of only 50,000 people.
The many islands within this huge atoll are crowned with
natural beauty. The outer barrier reef is punctuated with
idyllic sand spits dotted with coconut palms. The high islands
in the central lagoon rise into the blue island skies. It
is the giant Chuuk Lagoon, over 70km(40 miles) in diameter
and reaching depths of up to 100 metres (300 feet), that
is the main attraction for most visitors. It's depths are
home to perhaps the greatest proliferation of ship wrecks
in the world.
How To Get There
Truk Lagoon is located 1000km (650 miles) southeast of Guam,
1200km (750 miles) north of Papua New Guinea and 9600km
(6,000 miles) southwest of Los Angeles.
Weno, the capital of Chuuk, is served by Continental Micronesia
with 4 flights per week from/to Guam.
These flights tie in with the weekly departures of the
liveaboard dive cruises which operate within the lagoon.
There are daily connections to Guam from Tokyo & the
USA, along with two flights per week from/to Cairns. Additionally,
two weekly direct flights from Manila currently connect
Palau with other points in South-East Asia and on to Europe.
Climate
Chuuk has a warm, tropical climate. The dry season (the
best time to travel) is between December and April; the
rainy season, April to December, with the greatest falls
between July and October. The rain is rarely heavy, however,
and there is still a lot of sunshine in-between.
Temperatures average between 78-90 degrees Fahrenheit
(26-32 degrees Celsius), with the water temperature sitting
on a comfortable year-round 82-84 Fahrenheit (28-29 degrees
Celsius).
History And Culture
Chuuk's history of early Spanish domination was followed
by German acquisition after the Spanish-American war about
1890, and then a Japanese mandate from the League of Nations
upon Germany's defeat in 1918.
The Japanese era saw a great build up of arms and bases
in advance of a wide military blitz over the Western Pacific.
The blitz was supplied heavily from facilities at Chuuk,
where often more than 1,000 merchant and war ships were
moored in readiness for further deployment.
Five airfields supporting close to 500 aircraft provided
complete protection over Chuuk's Gibraltar-like facilities.
A deep lagoon, high islands and circling barrier reef provided
extensive natural protection.
Patrol boats, torpedo boats, submarines, tugs, landing
craft, gunboats and mine sweepers contributed to the final
defences and service needs to maintain this big base. Chuuk
was considered the most formidable of all Japanese strongholds
in the Pacific. This reputation caused an overconfident
Japanese command to relax their vigil against invasion,
in spite of U.S. forces fast approaching from the East.
Supplies from Japan had almost ceased, due to immense successes
of U.S. submarines finally equipped with torpedoes that
found their mark. Supply convoys receiving nearly 90% losses
en route to Chuuk, deprived the garrison of food, fuel and
new armaments desperately required to maintain strength.
By early 1944, U.S. forces had amassed a huge armada of
top line carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers and
submarines for a major surprise sweep against Chuuk on February
16th, 17th and 18th. This attack, coded "Operation
Hailstone", caught the Japanese totally unaware, and
led to one of the most successful U.S. engagements of WWII.
After a follow up attack in April 1944, Chuuk was reduced
to rubble with over 70 shipwrecks, 400 aircraft destroyed
or sunk, and the menace of this big fortress removed forever.
U.S. forces declined engagement with the 40,000 troops
at Chuuk, and after these attacks, starvation consumed many
of the defenders before the eventual surrender of Japan
late in 1945.
About 20 years later, adventure divers such as Jacques
Cousteau, Al Giddings and Klaus Lindemann discovered the
wonders of this huge sunken fleet, replete with incredible
vistas of war machinery, soft coral draperies, fish life
and personal mementos.
Diving
The turning battle of the Pacific War dealt a devastating
blow to the Imperial fleet sinking over 45 ships, including
armed cargo ships, huge tankers, small destroyers and a
submarine. Several planes were also sent to their final
resting place on the tranquil ocean floor of Truk Lagoon.
These WWII wrecks were scattered across 77 square miles.
In the 56 years since most of the ships sank, their decks
and sides have been transformed into vibrant coral reefs.
Each of the wrecks has everything you would expect from
a full blown reef such as pelagic predators like grey reef
sharks, to colourful coral, reef fish & cleaning stations.
Best wreck dives include:
- The Fujikawa Maru: Whether your interest is in
artifacts or marine life this wreck has it. An abundant
growth of soft & hard corals, anemones, & crinoids
make the ship & particularly the bow & stern guns
very photogenic. All the holds contain cargo but a unique
attraction lays in hold #2. There you will find five relatively
untouched and intact Zero fighters. The engine room is
very interesting but requires special diving skills to
visit. Depth 30- 112ft (9-34 m)
- Shinkoku Maru : This is Ken's favorite dive,
lots of soft corals adorn this wreck. The engine room
is accessible through the torpedo hole on the Port Side.
Both bow and stern guns are intact and heavily encrusted
with life. Inside the superstructure is a sick bay with
operating table. Elsewhere bottles, loading hoses and
the telegraphs remain in the bridge. A must for a night
dive. 28m / 90ft Upright.
- Sankisan Maru : The Sankisan's aft had a huge
amount of damage but the stern is upright and sits 200m
away from the rest of the ship. In the forward holds are
thousands of bullets, a variety of truck chassis, machine
guns, aircraft engines and propellers. 22m / 72ft Upright
- Yamagiri Maru : This wreck is famous for the
huge 14in shells in the aft hold. Also inside is a steamroller,
construction material and ships propeller. The engine
room is well worth a visit but is silty. The bridge and
pilot house make for a nice penetration.
30m / 100ft . Lies on Port Side
The lagoon itself is large enough that strong and constant
currents carry the nutrients required for healthy fish
life from the scattered islands through the large channels
and out to sea. Many of the wrecks were sunk in or near
these channels resulting in a wide variety of marine life
thriving around the wrecks, so consequently, there are
over 300 varieties of hard and soft corals to be found.
On the outer reef you'll find mountains of coral that
stretch as far as the eye can see, and drops off into
the abyss with plenty of shark life.
Other Activities
Chuuk's district centre on Weno is where visitors can
experience a taste of island life by visiting the local
stores jammed with everything from kerosene stoves to
ladies wear and handicrafts.
For an outstanding view of Weno and the lagoon, climb
into the old lighthouse built during Japanese occupation
and visit the Truk Continental for a stroll in the coconut
palm grounds with splendid views across the water to
Dublon Island formerly the Japanese military headquarters.
Lush vegetation and simple living punctuate the lives
of the lagoon. Fishing, weaving and tending garden supplant
the subsistence lives that many sustain on their individual
islands. It is not unusual to see women waist deep in
the mangroves hunting for a special delicacy or men
walking the reefs by torchlight at night looking for
baby octopus. Boat makers create vessels high in the
hills of the inner islands and take them down to sea
when finished. Open-hearth fires are still used to cook
the daily meals. Life here is close to nature and lived
in conjunction with the land and the sea. Local carvers
are also famous for using beautiful local woods to carve
warrior masks and busts. And the Chuukese love stick
is part of a legendary practice of courtship unique
to this island group.
In Chuuk, the pace is slow, so tropical nature can
be easily observed and appreciated. Many of the islands
offer lush vegetation that harbour rare and migratory
birdlife. Wild orchids and other flora are found in
the scenic and sometimes rugged terrain of the islands.
Often overlooked are the outer reefs where a great
variety of fish, both pelagic and reef dwelling, venture
near cascading coral walls that stretch into the blue
abyss of the Pacific Ocean.
Live Aboard Dive Operators
Hotels
Independent
