DIVING TRIP AND LIVEABOARD TO TRUK LAGOON IN MICROESIA

by Per Lagerberg

Diving trip and liveaboard to Truk Lagoon in Micronesia, wreck diving.

Anyone who likes wrecks and wreck diving has probably heard or read about Truk Lagoon, or Chuuk Lagoon as it is called nowadays. We went on a dive trip and liveaboard to Truk Lagoon to see what there was to discover. The story behind the wrecks in Truk Lagoon is Operation Hailstone which was the biggest battle in history and took place right here in Truk Lagoon during World War II. On February 17-18, 1944, American fighter aircraft sank roughly 50 ships here and over 400 aircraft. Even today you can experience diving (video) here at one of the world's perhaps most famous and best places for wreck diving.

Truk Lagoon is actually a perfect destination regardless of previous experience. Here there are wrecks from the surface down to greater depths. So it is even possible to snorkel and take in the history here. There are also fine reefs and a rich marine life here. Sharks, dolphins, lots of fish and a large amount of invertebrates make Truk Lagoon also suitable for groups where maybe not everyone dives or is as enthusiastic about wrecks. For you if you have more experience and like technical diving to slightly greater depths, there is of course more to experience. It is precisely the wreck diving in Truk Lagoon in Micronesia that made the place famous and popular for diving.

Welcome to Truk Lagoon

After a long trip with a couple of nights in the vibrant world city of Manila i Philippines to sleep away some jet lag and rest the bodyandaWe are in Weno, the capital of Truk Lagoon. We are picked up and met at the airport by staff from our live board. They quickly take us to our home for 10 days of intense and fascinating wreck diving. We are a little tender in our bodies, but the excitement immediately becomes intense when we know that there are only hours left until we get in the water. We will feel the wings of history in this mythical place.
Quick as hell, we settle in after a short briefing and welcome drink in our spacious cabin. Then we change into tropical clothing and start checking out the boat and the nature around us..

We eat lunch and then it's time to assemble the diving equipment. It's time to do our first checkup dive. After a briefing, we step aboard our diving tender. Quickly we are taken out a little bit away and soon we are surrounded by clear blue water, lots of fish and a big wreck! The feeling of being weightless again is fantastic and extra lovely after our long journey. The wreck of the Fujikawa Maru starts at a depth of only 9 meters and goes all the way down to about 35 meters. She is 132 meters long and was built as a freighter in 1938 but also took passengers. Then she was converted into a merchant ship but with armament. Here in Truk Lagoon, she met her fate shortly after arriving just before Operation Hailstorm.

Vibrant tropical island surrounded by clear blue ocean waters, perfect for scuba diving adventures.

Old shipwreck relic covered with colorful marine life in clear ocean water.

Rusty shipwreck with underwater scuba diving equipment in dark ocean.

Deep-sea spotted shark exploring underwater shipwreck scene for scuba diving adventure.

Rope sponge and marine life on shipwreck, underwater diving scene, vibrant coral reef, scuba adventure in tropical waters.

Luxury dive boat for scuba diving excursions in tropical destinations, high-quality marine vessel for dive trips.

Sunset over the ocean with boat deck and loudspeakers, tropical island silhouette in background, perfect for scuba diving trips.

Fujikawa Maru

The Fujikawa Maru is one of the more popular wrecks here and perfect for a checkup dive. Inside the cargo area there is, among other things, an airplane. The wreck is today covered with marine life. Here you see corals, anemones and sponges that have taken possession of the wreck and it is now a reef for fish and invertebrates.

As the wrecks here are large and full of details, it is possible to dive on the same wreck several times. This means that it is possible to dive here all year round. The eastern side is a bit more exposed to winds during parts of the year and may not always be possible to dive at. The week goes by and we remove several wrecks during our four dives per day. It is all the time with respect to history where roughly 4500 Japanese soldiers died. At some of the deeper wrecks, human remains can still be found today.

Most of what we see other than all the details on the wrecks are different types of ammunition, clothes and boots and lots of parts of or entire combat vehicles. Here, of course, there are also cannons and various weapons. Inside the wrecks and also outside we find lots of china and glasses, forks, mugs and various bottles. Here you can also find lamps, kitchen utensils, telephones, gas masks and much more.

Intensive diving

Our dive trip with our liveaboard here in Truk Lagoon will be mostly just wreck diving, that's why we've come here. There are early mornings when sometimes I get up before breakfast and go diving. Everything to get as many experiences as possible with us. Some do up to five dives a day but of course it depends on how deep and long each one dives. Some are content with two or three dives in a day. Since all the wrecks we can dive on are inside the lagoon, it is also close and short movements. Sometimes we dive in different places because the wrecks are close to each other, We can even choose within the dive pairs where we want to be released.

When we dive on the wreck Rio de Janeiro Maru, we are completely alone and with about 25 meters of visibility. Being able to dive here completely alone is amazing and the 140 meter long vessel is full of bottles of sake and beer. We are surrounded by marine life, schools of tuna and barracudas. A couple of gray reef sharks circle above the wreck and this is one of the most magical dives I've experienced.

Not just wreckage

Many people think that you can only go here to look at wrecks. but here there is also a very rich animal life. There are plenty of reef sharks and large fish. The wrecks are largely covered by various sponges, anemones and various hard and soft corals. This in turn attracts lots of different fish and different invertebrates. If wreck diving is not really your thing, you can still dive here and get fantastic diving. The wrecks are today mostly artificial reefs and if you dive on the outside of them you will see lots of marine life.

We also do a really good shark dive during our dive trip. The staff drive us out to one of the few canals in the lagoon and here we are dropped off. The water is more turbulent here, but we slide quickly and easily down to a plateau. We choose to stay and hang in there and see what happens. Our guide soon points out into the blue and before long we have lots of reef sharks gliding untouched both with and against the current. We see gray reef sharks, silvertips and several blacktips. A large school of barracuda stands still and scouts for something to eat. A few eagle rays brighten the dive and when they glide without moving against the current, it is not to be envied. It was a really lovely dive and a nice alternative to all the wrecks.

Time to pack up and head home

A fantastic week of diving is coming to an end. We have packed up our equipment and paid a visit to the island's museum. We finish with a night on a lovely diving resort and talk through our diving week and then the next day there will be a ride to the airport. From there fly back to Manila. After one night there, we will continue diving for another week in Coron in the Philippines. Coron is also exciting although not as good visibility, not as big wrecks and it doesn't feel quite as exotic. Still, it's a fantastic arrangement where you can combine two of the world's best dive sites for wreck diving. In addition, both locations are known from World War II.

Truk Lagoon would probably have fallen into oblivion if it hadn't been for the wrecks found here. Instead, today it is one of the best wreck diving destinations in the world. Many people think that a trip to Truk is not enough. I know divers who have returned there several times to experience this incredible place. With all the history and all the wrecks that are here reminding of the past I understand why. You can read more about several of the fantastic wrecks on Scuba Travel's website here. For those who want to go on a diving trip and liveaboard to Truk Lagoon and experience fantastic wreck diving, this is something very special.