Kodak’s Korner

July 08 – Truk (Chuuk) Lagoon, also known as the Japanese “Pearl Harbour”, is a meccah for wreck diving. With nearly 60 ship and plane wrecks lying in the lagoon, many of them still filled with their precious cargo, it is an underwater photographer’s dream. And last July, I got to live the dream!

Located in the Federal State of Micronesia, it can be reached by flying Continental Airlines via either Guam or Honolulu. As both of the aforementioned are US Territory, prior preparation needs to be undertaken as if journeying to the American mainland itself. For those of you from countries included in the visa waiver program, you now need to apply online before leaving your own country. For the less fortunate, do allow up to 5 month to apply for a tourist visa.

On your way to Truk, we encountered heavy rain which flooded the runway and forced us to land on Pohnpei instead. Notably, we were a bit annoyed that we would miss out on a day of diving, however, Pohnpei had its own charms. The most developed island in Micronesia, it is still quite eye opening to see how underdeveloped it is. Pigs share the narrow road with your car, and you drive through people’s backyards to visit some of the tourist attractions (and have to pay a passage toll). If you ever get stuck in a similar predicament, the waterfall and mysterious ruins are worth seeing.

When we finally got to Chuuk, a bus was waiting at the airport to take us to the Blue Lagoon Resort. We were very happy with the quality of the resort and hospitality of the staff. It was clean and functionable as a dive resort, with ample washing facilities and lockers for us to dry/store our gear. The resort restaurant was where we had all our meals as we were feeling less than adventurous to venture into town. The little resort bar down by the water front provided us with a source of alcohol (although it closed by 10pm) and a place to sit and watch the beautiful sunsets. Other resorts at Truk include the cutely named Truk Stop Hotel but the Blue Lagoon Resort is by far the best.

Attached to the resort is the Blue Lagoon Dive Shop. Founded by the father of diving at Truk – Kimiuo Aisek, the shop is now run by his son and a host of capable staff. The boats are basic but more than adequate to quickly transport us to any of the wreck which we wanted to dive (anywhere between 5 to 20 minutes away). Their team of knowledgeable dive guides are able to find all the wrecks by triangulation alone (with out fancy GPS technology) and are able to rattle off an impressive amount of information about each wreck (depths, exact locations of points of interest etc.). Some of them have racked up more dive on any one wreck than I have dived in 5 years and are experts at blowing bubble rings!

As soon as you hit the water, the tropical island magic hits. Visibility is very good (25 – 35m) and diving is easy as the sheltered lagoon means currents are almost non-existent. Year long temperatures of 28 degrees make it easy to dive in with minimal thermal protection. The wrecks range from depths of 12m right up to 55m so select the one which you are comfortable diving to.

In terms of marine life, it is very similar to the sort that you would find on tropical coral reefs. Some wreck are scarcely covered by Faulkner’s coral while others are absolutely covered in both soft coral. Fish life is not really abundant and there are charismatic mega fauna around either. One exception is the tons of anemone fish and their host anemones found everywhere.

What really makes for interesting photography is the lots of war artifacts littering the wrecks. A strict no take policy was put into place right after world war two, so wrecks are literally teaming with bottles, china, bullets, bones and guns. Some wrecks even hold larger treasures like tanks, trucks and planes. They all make for great photographic opportunities, even for novices, as you can take as many shots as your air last

A handy tip is to do your research beforehand (as is always to case . Know which wrecks you wish to visit and the points of interest that you wish to photograph. I found that if you are not specific, the guides zip from place to place, trying to fit in every interesting item in one dive, leaving you with very little time to set up a shot or try something new. The best thing to do is to nominate two or three things you would like to shoot, and then if you have time after getting your shots, let the guides then lead you on their tour.

On a side note, Truk Lagoon is not governed by the same strict diving laws as Australia. This means that regular wreck diving safeties (eg. use of reels, maximum penetration distance) are not enforced, and you can go as “deep and dark” as you want. The dive guides can be cowboys sometimes so as a rule, you should look out for yourself and dive within your limits. If you are not comfortable penetration a wreck or going to a particular depth, tell the guides so.

In conclusion, Truk Lagoon rightfully earns its place as one of the best wreck diving destinations in the world and I would highly recommend it for any “rust” enthusiast and underwater photographers looking for easy “slow moving” targets to shoot.

Popular dive sites

Fujikawa maru

One of the most popular wrecks in the lagoon, the Fujikawa maru is famous for the surprisingly intact zero fighters in her hold. The pristine engine room, gas masks in the frontal holds and torpedo hole down the back are also photo worthy.

Yamagiri maru

This wreck may not look very special on the outside, but it is only one of two wrecks in the lagoon (and the easier one to dive) which still houses a human skull. Nestled deep in the engine room, it is not for the faint hearted.

Shinkoku maru

One of the best dive in the lagoon, the star of this wreck is the human femur bones still lying on the operating table. The rest of the wreck is in remarkable condition and covered in soft coral. The engine room leads to a little tight passage that lead out to the sea bed.

Sankisan maru

Only half the ship survived the bombing, but what a half! It is completely encrusted with soft and hard coral. This coupled with the shallow depth of the wreck make it amazing for natural light photography.

Rio de Janiero maru

One of the furthest wrecks from the resort (a good 25 minutes), the draw card of this one is the two huge propellars still intact on its stern. The cargo holds are also packed with saki bottles and ammunition.

San Francisco maru

One of the deepest wrecks at Truk (50-60m), one might only qualify to dive it by showing excellent air consumption in the prior two or three days diving. However, if you do make the grade, awaiting you are tanks, trucks, ammunition, a lovely bow gun and a healthy dose of nitrogen narcosis (probably!). On a side note, everyone wishing to dive this wreck must bring along a pony bottle (available for hire).

Dive Adventures – For holiday packages to Truk Lagoon from Australia

Blue Lagoon Dive Resort – For accommodation in Truk Lagoon

Blue Lagoon Dive Shop – For diving in Truk Lagoon