The Western Pacific
TRUK, MICRONESIA
The ultimate in wreck diving
Season: Year-round diving
Visibility: 20-40 metres
Water Temperature: 28-30°C
Bow of the Shinkoku Maru (Truk Lagoon) by Martin Edge
Seven degrees north of the equator lies the famous Truk (or Chuuk) Lagoon. Truk has long been acknowledged as ‘the world’s ultimate wreck site’ for, amazing as it seems, almost 70 charted wrecks lie inside the lagoon! The calm waters hold the remains of the Japanese fleet that was targeted by Operation Hailstone in February 1944 during World War II. The resulting battles led to the numerous wrecks now found within the lagoon. Some 275 Japanese planes were downed and over 60 ships were sunk! These amazing wrecks, which have been protected from plunder and still contain the remains of those who died in them, are now enrobed in coral. Truk is most certainly a grim reminder of the violence of war but also a tribute to nature’s ability to turn horror and death into beauty and life. Famous wrecks include the 7,000 tons Fujikawa Maru, a large freighter that was transporting aircraft and ammunition, and the 4,800 tons Sankisan Maru with its cargo of lorries and machine guns, but these are just a small sample of the fabulous experiences to be had in this wreck-diver’s paradise.
The beautiful Fujikawa Maru is often one of the first wrecks to be explored by divers visiting Truk. Today, only one of its masts pokes out of the water, but below the water the bow and forecastle are still well preserved, as are the bow and stern guns. The bow is heavy with soft corals and seafans while the bow gun is a cleaning station and a home to some large Napoleon Wrasse. The superstructure lies at 15 metres and four Japanese fighter planes can be found in hold No. 2 by swimming through two deck levels. Staggeringly, the control columns and certain other controls are still moveable! It is even possible to climb into the cockpit of some of the planes if great care is taken. This No. 2 hold goes down to a depth of 27 metres. A total of six holds contain a variety of debris and relics, including some live ammunition. No. 4 hold is where a torpedo struck the boat and it is possible to swim through the gaping hole in the vessel’s side.
At 42 metes to the bridge, the San Francisco Maru is a very deep dive, but for some divers well worth it. This has been named as one of the best wrecks in Truk in terms of the contents of its holds and the war relics on its deck. No. 1 hold is almost full of live hemispherical beach mines. The spectacular contents of hold No. 2 include three Japanese Ha-Go light tanks, a high velocity anti-aircraft gun and a staff car. Other holds contain torpedoes, the remains of some lorries, and much ammunition. The ship’s propeller and rudder have not been explored due to their excessive depth.
At the Sankisan Maru it is 24 metres to the seabed and consequently well within sport divers’ limits. This medium-sized freighter now rests upright on a slope. As one descends the shot line to the deck, the cargo immediately appears, for the remains of Toyota and Isuzu trucks lie exposed. The contents of hold No. 1 are a diminishing collection of small arms, some in wooden crates and boxes and some scattered loose. Coral growth all over the deck makes this a very pretty wreck. At 3 metres the foremast and its crosstree make a fascinating safety stop with oysters, sea squirts, tube sponges and lots of damselfish to examine.
These are just three of the very best. There are so many fantastic wreck dives at Truk Lagoon that we could fill pages and pages with descriptions. The best thing is to see them for yourself.
Although best known for its wreck diving, Truk has some spectacular reef diving, particularly on the outer walls of the lagoon. The passes and drop-offs in particular boast prolific fish life and some sites have such clear water that it is essential to monitor depth to make sure that you do not descend too far!
TRUK BLUE LAGOON RESORT & BLUE LAGOON DIVE SHOP
Located in a lush tropical setting among tall coconut palms, the Truk Blue Lagoon Resort (the only resort hotel on Moen Island) offers a breathtaking view of the famous Truk Lagoon. This middle-sized hotel offers a reasonable standard of accommodation, but is not luxurious. The hotel’s low two storey design, with 56 spacious rooms, blends with the island’s tropical atmosphere. Superior rooms (which are marginally nicer) are on the first floor, Standard Rooms are on the ground floor. The restaurant offers local seafood dishes as well as International and Asian cuisine. A beach bar and cocktail lounge provide the perfect setting for a relaxing drink after diving. Wander through the palm-shaded gardens or take a refreshing swim in the lagoon.
The famous Blue Lagoon Dive Shop, Truk’s premier dive centre, is our choice for the finest shore-based diving. Blue Lagoon Dive Shop was owned by the late Kimiuo Aisek, who witnessed the battles as a youth and subsequently charted many of the ‘lost’ wrecks, and is now run by his son Gradvin. Divers are collected from the dock outside the Truk Blue Lagoon Resort each day by the fast wooden dive boat from Blue Lagoon Dive Shop. Night dives can be arranged locally. Nitrox is available.
Stays can be of any length, subject to flight schedules. Prices given below relate to a stay of 7 nights.
Price: from about £596 for 7 nights. Includes: 7 nights room-only accommodation on a twin/share basis in a Standard Room at the Truk Blue Lagoon Resort; 5 days of diving (2 boat dives per day, dive guide). Supplement for a third boat dive each diving day: about £96. A Chuuk State Dive Permit fee of US$30 (subject to change) is payable locally. Airport transfers: about £8 return. Reduction for non-divers.
Single Occupancy Supplement: from about £283 for 7 nights.
THORFINN
In one week on the famous SS Thorfinn it is possible to explore more than 30 of the 60 magnificent shipwrecks of Japan’s Imperial 4th Fleet. Condemned to a watery grave more than 50 years ago by the US naval air attack in Operation Hailstone during World War II, these beautiful wrecks lie within the 822 square mile lagoon. Beyond the wrecks lies the stunning reef wall encrusted with coral and guarded by sharks.
The refurbished Thorfinn is one of the largest liveaboard vessels in the Pacific, with no less than 21 crew for a maximum of 22-24 passengers. It is a comfortable boat but definitely not a luxury liveaboard (so in this respect is different in standard from the typical Divequest liveaboard). Eleven fully air-conditioned staterooms each have a vanity unit, TV, VCR and large window. Seven staterooms feature double or queen-sized beds with an adjacent single berth and private bathrooms with head and shower, while the eighth stateroom is essentially similar, but smaller than the others and lacking the single berth). Three additional and very attractive large, bright rooms share two shower rooms and two toilets. These pleasant rooms are popular with couples or groups of friends travelling together who appreciate the extra space provided by the larger rooms and are happy to share bathroom facilities. The crew of Thorfinn are dedicated to cater to your every need. The salon features a full bar, large ocean aquarium, an entertainment centre with video, large screen TV and a splendid video library. The open air lounge has a sun deck with loungers and a shaded area where one can enjoy a cool drink or a snack between dives or simply enjoy the splendid views from the boat. The eight-seater hot tub on deck is a popular spot to relax after dives!
Once you have set up your gear on the first day the crew will look after it for the rest of the week, leaving you free to enjoy what you have come for – so just roll back into the water. The twin-engined aluminium tenders each carry a maximum of 6 divers and a dive guide from the mother ship to the dive sites, so there is plenty of time to explore the wonders of each wreck without any possibility of overcrowding. In addition, two 10-metre RIB dive launches have twin 150 HP engines, freshwater showers , triple tiered camera tables, under-sea lockers, and gear bins. On these boats, 2 dive masters and a boatman usually escort a complement of 8 divers. Underwater photographers have special facilities on board Thorfinn. There are cameras and videos for rental. The dive deck has a photography table for storage and servicing photographic equipment and there is a specially stabilized charging station. Separate rinse tanks are designated as camera-exclusive. Nitrox fills are normally up to 32%. but higher levels of Oxygen are available on request. Pony bottles can be filled at an extra charge, payable locally. There are no depth limits imposed by Thorfinn within the lagoon, but divers are expected to retain sufficient air for safe ascents from depth and to make a minimum of three protracted ascent stops. EAN staged bottles will be provided on request.
Thorfinn is anchored in the sound between Dublon and Fefan islands, to the south of the island of Moen, and offers 7 nights packages commencing every Saturday throughout the year. The ship stays at anchor and all diving is by tender.
Price: from about £1547. Includes: airport transfers; 7 nights on Thorfinn on a twin/share basis with full board (including non-alcoholic beverages); up to 7 days diving (up to 5 dives per day, including night dives), dive guide, 3 free Nitrox fills of EAN32-36 per day. There is a small supplement, payable on board, for richer blends. A Chuuk State dive permit fee of US$35 (subject to change) including service charge is not included in the package price and is payable on board.
Single Occupancy Supplement: 50% of the cruise cost (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin).
Small Group Incentives: A very attractive reduction per person, or a largely free place for a group leader, are available for a group of 6 or more. Please contact us for details.
TRUK ODYSSEY
Truk Odyssey is, without doubt, the most spacious and comfortable way to explore the fabulous wrecks of Truk Lagoon. At over 40 metres in length, this award-winning and very comfortable boat is equipped with full safety gear and large fresh water tanks (so there is plenty of water for showers), and has a range of 1,200 nautical miles. In short she is equipped to offer everything that a diver could wish for in the search for the ultimate in wreck diving! The usual itinerary offers superb wreck diving within sport diving limits (though there are facilities for those who wish to carry out some deeper, decompression diving or wreck penetration), but whole boat charters can be offered as technical diving weeks with decompression diving and wreck penetration to extend the range of wrecks that can be dived. During the course of the week there are also opportunities to participate in some exciting shark diving, as well as diving on the outer reefs. Truk Odyssey is frequently booked by those who want to take whole boat charters, with many groups booking this lovely boat over a year (or even two years!) in advance, but happily there are increasingly opportunities for individuals to travel on the boat.
Truk Odyssey is a fine, spacious liveaboard that carries a maximum of 16 passengers in nine staterooms. All staterooms are fully air-conditioned, fully carpeted and have en-suite bathrooms. All staterooms have port holes or windows. Six staterooms each have the capacity to offer two single beds, or one king-sized bed. Two staterooms have one single bed and one stateroom has a lower double bed and an upper single bed. Between dives guests can relax on the sundeck (either in or out of the shade). The air-conditioned, fully carpeted dining salon is fitted out in tropical wood and there is space for everyone on the boat to dine at one sitting. Full windows on either side of the boat give the dining salon a light and airy atmosphere. There is a comfortable and air-conditioned entertainment lounge where you can watch DVDs, view your slides, listen to music or just relax. There is also a bar so you can choose a beer or glass of wine, quench your thirst and think about the dives you have done and the ones you are going to do!
For after the dive there is a freshwater shower and clean towels awaiting, as well as the chef’s freshly prepared snacks to appease the after-dive hunger pangs! Breakfast includes a hot breakfast plus toast, cereals, fruit and fruit juices. Lunch ranges from salads, soups and warm dishes on the boat. Dinner is usually a hot and hearty meal always with a delicious desert. Most meals are served buffet-style.
Once your gear is set up at your own seat and at your own dive locker, it need not be taken apart until you leave the boat. Tanks are filled, with air or Nitrox, at your seat for convenience. The spacious, slip-resistant dive deck has room for two divers plus two divemasters. Two ladders help you out of the water so that you can step to the convenient freshwater shower to rinse off. Two freshwater camera rinse tanks are just a few steps from the dive deck and the gear rinse tanks are just a couple of steps further. There is a sturdy, carpeted, three-tiered camera work table with battery charging facilities located in the lounge. A full range of diving equipment is available for rental by pre-arrangement. Nitrox fills are included in the cost of your holiday for those who are in possession of a Nitrox certification. Courses offered on the boat include Advanced Open Water, Wreck Diver, Deep Diver, Night Diver, Underwater Naturalist, Underwater Photographer and Nitrox certification.
There are no set routines and each day will vary depending on location and local conditions, but generally the day begins at 0700 with a hot breakfast before the first dive at 0745. Depending on the dive site, you will have up to two dives before lunch. During lunch the boat usually moves to a new location and after lunch two more dives are offered, one usually being a late afternoon dive. Night dives are offered each evening where possible. As most dives in Truk are quite close to each other, it is easy for the boat to move around. Not everyone is required to dive at the same time, so it is not unusual for a couple of divers to be the only ones on a 200-metre long wreck. Photographers in particular, will appreciate this unique feature which will offer them the opportunity to shoot particularly popular wrecks without having others in the picture. For those who charter the whole boat, the itinerary and diving schedule can be tailor-made and no day is really typical.
Truk Odyssey offers a range of technical diving equipment that includes twin tanks, with dual isolation valve manifolds, and also pony bottles, for use with decompression gases or as back-up tanks. Oxygen is available on board for an additional fee. Qualified individuals may take decompression dives and penetrate wrecks, but whole boat charters may arrange special deep technical weeks to include wreck penetration. To participate in the technical diving programme, divers must have proper certification for the dives, a technical BCD set to handle doubles, twin regulator set ups, decompression dive computers and tables, a line cutting device, an underwater slate and DAN insurance.
The following wrecks and reef sites are offered from Truk Odyssey, though not all sites are visited each week and are subject to local conditions and divers’ experience: Fujikawa Maru (0-40 metres), Yamagiri Maru (20-40 metes), Nippo Maru (16-30 metres), Heian Maru (12-20 metres), Sankisan Maru (0-30 Metres), Hoki Maru 15-50 metres), Unkai Maru (10-40 Metres), Rio de Janeiro Maru (12-40 metres), Hanakawa Maru (3-25 metres), Fumitzuki Destroyer (25-40 Metres), Betty Bomber (12-20 metres), Momokawa Maru (25-50 metres), Shinkoku Maru (10-40 metres), San Francisco Maru (30-60 metres), Pizion Reef (5-60 metres), Shark Pass (15-40 metres, Twin Peaks (5-30 metres), Blue Channel (15-30 metres), Blue Wall (2-50 metres) and Shark diving on the outer reef.
Truk Odyssey operates out of the harbour at Truk Blue Lagoon Resort for 7 nights cruises (though longer cruises may be arranged for whole groups), departing every Sunday throughout the year.
Price: from about £1860. Includes: airport transfers; 7 nights cruise on Truk Odyssey with full board (except dinner on the last night), including non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks; 5 full days diving (up to 5 dives a day, including night dives), plus 3 dives on the last day; Nitrox or air fills. A Chuuk State bed tax, port fee and dive permit fee of US$60 (subject to change) is not included in the package price and will be collectedon board. Dinner on the last night is not included, but guests will be provided with guidance about good local restaurants. Reduction for non-divers.
Single Occupancy Supplement: from about £932 (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin). The two single cabins, for which there is no supplement, cannot be pre-booked as the cruise operator utilizes them to solve rooming problems.
Whole Boat Charters: Groups of 7-9 divers are offered one additional free place. Groups of 10 or more divers are offered two additional free places.
FLIGHTS: Prices from about £1245 to Chuuk (or Truk). There are daily flight connections to Chuuk (or Truk) via Honolulu, less frequent connections via Manila and Guam. You may have to overnight en route.
STOP-OVERS: These are available in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Honolulu or Los Angeles, depending on flight routing.
COMBINATIONS: If you are going all the way to Truk, why not take in Yap with its incredible Manta Rays or Palau’s strange and beautiful ‘Rock Islands’ with their amazing diving? You will have paid for most of the airfare already! Alternatively, you could stop off to dive in the Philippines. Talk to us about the possibilities.
Aretfacts on the Shinkoku Maru (Truk Lagoon) by Sam Bean.
