Diving the Truk Lagoon

Chuuk, or more particularly Truk Lagoon, is a small group of 15 minor islands, which are situated in the Western Pacific about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. Once a huge volcano, the small islands surrounding Truk Lagoon are all that remains. These remains, however, are a Mecca for divers, and even the most experienced scuba diving enthusiasts will be impressed by the diversity and fullness of nautical life and coral which is on offer.

Despite there being good range of nautical life and coral the main attraction for scuba divers in Truk Lagoon is the 48 wrecks that lie on the bed of the lagoon. These are the inheritance of a fierce World War 2 battle called carrying out Hailstorm, where Us naval troops launched a large aerial strike on what was the main Japanese naval base in the South Pacific. In two air strikes, American planes managed to sink three cruisers and six destroyers along with 3 other warships and 32 merchant ships. In all, over 220,000 tonnes of shipping material was sunk in the lagoon over a period of just two days. For the past 50 years these wrecks have lain in the blue lagoon of Truk, creating one of the best wrecks dive sites in the world.

Diving & Snorkeling

Nowadays, the wrecks of Truk Lagoon are home to some perfect coral formations, both hard and soft, which are home to an predicted range of nautical life.

There are a large estimate of wreck dive sites within the Lagoon, along with the Hoki Maru, the Nippo Maru and the Shinkoku Maru. It's the shipwreck of the Fujikawa Maru, however, which is probably the best known of the wrecks. The wreck is practically 450 feet long and lies in extremely shallow water. It affords divers the occasion to observe the gun bows, propeller blades and the numerous aircraft parts which lie scattered around on the seabed.

The atmosphere in Chuuk, as with the majority of islands throughout French Polynesia, tends to be relatively uniform throughout the year. Its only real influencing factor being the north-easterly trade winds, which tend to be at their strongest between November and June. The best time to visit Chuuk is in the relatively dry period during January to March.

The scuba diving in Chuuk is exceptional, contribution some of the best and most accessible wreck diving in the world. There are a good estimate of expert dive operators and live-aboards working throughout the Chuuk area, as well as a few resorts for accommodation. With new and appealing dive sites still being discovered all the time, the hereafter of eco tourism and diving in Truk Lagoon looks assured.

Diving the Truk Lagoon