DIVING TRUK LAGOON

It was on February 17, 1944 at 0530 that a Japanese radar detected an approaching aircraft squadron. Operation Hailstone began and an estimated 450 American planes blitzed what was thought to be an impenetrable haven, completely annihilating the Japanese Imperial Fleet stationed in Truk Lagoon.

Decades later, the view of the perfectly calm lagoon makes it hard to imagine the devastation of those two days. Until, of course, you get below the water. The Japanese believed that Chuuk’s completely enclosed lagoon, with so few entry and exit channels, would be easy to defend against a naval attack. However, this also made the lagoon a trap.

There are now forty or so shipwrecks lying on the lagoon floor. Each one is a sumptuous artificial reef and many are within sport diving limits. There are the remains of tanks and jeeps, anti-aircraft guns and torpedo tubes and more ammunition than you care to think about. There are broken aircraft and abandoned submarines but sadly there are far fewer artefacts than you may have thought. Sadly, many small items have been systematically stolen whether by the odd tourist who thinks taking a souvenir is clever, by locals who try to profit from selling artefacts on or by local fishermen who salvage explosives for their own use.

There are also dives on the outer reefs, some of which are known for their shark populations but a combination of natural and man-made damage means that these reefs are really not worth diverting attention away from the engrossing wrecks.