Truk Lagoon

Every diver longs to dive the legendary wrecks of Truk Lagoon as it has the world’s largest concentration of divable wrecks packed into one lagoon. This is considered one of the best destinations for world-class SCUBA diving.  Truk Lagoon, also known as Chuuk  is a sheltered body of water in the central Pacific Ocean North of New  Guinea. The area consists of 11 major islands and 46 smaller ones within the lagoon, plus 41 on the fringing coral reef,

Many people have spent their professional careers studying the history of the place and the many shipwrecks here.  Truk Lagoon is known for the battle that played out here during WW II. Truk was a military base for the Japanese and was considered the most formidable of all Japanese strongholds in the Pacific. The Japanese kept a fleet consisting of battleships, destroyers, submarine tenders, military supply and support vessels, and aircraft. It has been described by some as Japan’s equivalent of the Americans’ Pearl Harbor.  In February of 1944 the U.S. launched a massive air attack on Truk Lagoon, code-named “Operation Hailstone”. This three-day battle brought 60 ships and over 275 aircraft to the bottom of the lagoon, where they’ve remained since. The success of this attack crippled the Japanese combat ability and some historians credit the victory at Chuuk as the turning point of the Pacific War.

In 1969, Jacques Cousteau and his team explored Truk Lagoon. After televising a documentary about the lagoon and its ghostly remains, the place became a scuba divers heaven, beckoning people to see the virtually intact wrecks. This underground fleet has now become the world’s largest artificial reef and living memorial, containing the very best of the undersea world and maritime history at one destination. The coral encrusted wrecks attract a diverse array of marine life, including manta-rays, turtles, sharks and corals. Depths of the wrecks vary from the surface in excess of 200 feet.

Diving is good year-round in Truk Lagoon. The lagoon is sheltered from the Pacific Ocean currents and waves making the the diving easy and relaxed.   Visibility can vary with the dive site and other conditions, but is normally 60-100ft. The water temperature is 81-86°F (27-30°C) year round. A 1mm wetsuit is adequate thermal protection for most divers, mainly to protect you from any creatures.

Interested?  The Ski and Scuba Connection will be diving at Truk June 12th to June 20th.  We are also planning to dive Yap for the week prior (starting June 6th). Information is posted on our website (http://www.skiandscubaconnection.com/subpage7.html). You may also give me a call with any questions you have (203)-629-4766

Don