Chuuk Lagoon

Chuuk Lagoon, formerly known as Truk Lagoon, is regarded as the greatest wreck-diving destination in the world, a vast, sheltered lagoon ringed by a barrier reef and studded with islands. During the Second World War it served as the main forward base of the Japanese Imperial fleet, until a massive American air assault in 1944, Operation Hailstone, sank dozens of warships, freighters and submarine tenders and destroyed some 250 aircraft to the lagoon floor in a single devastating attack. Today this haunting ghost fleet rests beneath the calm water, the wrecks now encrusted with coral and teeming with marine life, and still holding cargo, aircraft and poignant relics, a spectacular and sombre underwater time capsule.

History

Feefen and Wééné had settlements by the first and second centuries BC, and widespread settlement in Chuuk followed in the 14th century AD. The first recorded European sighting was by the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Saavedra in the ship Florida in 1528, and Alonso de Arellano visited on 15 January 1565 (Wikipedia, Chuuk Lagoon).

Highlights

• The ghost fleet - the dozens of sunken warships and freighters.
• The coral-encrusted wrecks - the reefs and marine life on the hulls.
• The relics and cargo - the aircraft, vehicles and poignant remains.
• The lagoon and islands - the vast sheltered lagoon setting.

When to go

December to April tends to offer the calmest, clearest conditions, though Chuuk can be dived year-round in its warm, sheltered waters; diving is done from boats out of Weno, and many of the wrecks are deep, suited to experienced and technical divers, with wreck-penetration specialists especially rewarded.

Before you go

Chuuk is deeply remote, reached by long flights, with basic facilities, and many of its wrecks are deep dives suited to experienced or technical divers rather than beginners; the lagoon is also a war grave, so the wrecks and any remains must be treated with the utmost respect. For serious divers, though, the extraordinary experience of exploring the world's greatest concentration of coral-encrusted wartime wrecks, a haunting ghost fleet in a warm lagoon, is genuinely unforgettable and unmatched.

Nearby

The other Micronesian states of Pohnpei, Yap and Kosrae are reached by air.

Key facts