As the song says its "a long way to Tipperary", however, I can assure you its a f**king long way to Truk Lagoon (Chuuk).
This was to be the first stage of a month long diving adventure for us. We would be spending our first week on the Truk Odyssey liveaboard (www.trukodyssey.com) diving the wrecks of the Lagoon. During World War 2, Truk Lagoon served as the forward anchorage for the Japanese Imperial Fleet. The place was considered the most formidable of all Japanese strongholds in the Pacific. The Americans launched an attack against Truk (Operation Hailstorm) on February 17, 1944, which lasted for three days, wiping out almost anything of value - 60 ships and 275 airplanes were sent to the bottom of the lagoon. The ships sunk were mainly cargo ships and have become an underwater mecca for wreck diving enthusiasts.
We flew from TCI to Miami then onto Houston where we stayed overnight, before the mammoth (and daunting) 20 hours and 10 minutes from Houston - Honolulu - Guam - Chuuk. A hop, skip and a jump ... oh and 3 flight, 2 time zone changes and to add to the confusion the crossing of the International date line and we arrived, refreshed and full of the joys of life :) Ok so I may be straying slightly from the truth ! Its very confusing to leave at 9AM on a Saturday and arrive at 9PM on a Sunday - jetlag aside its alot for the brain to try and digest. The highlight (if thats the right word) of the journey, was on one flight when a tall steward with a Texan drawl walked down the cabin offering the nutritional delight 'bird in a bun'. This turned out to be a microwaved bag containing a turkey wiener sticking out either side of a bread bun (tasty).
At Chuuk airport we waited in anticipation to see if our luggage had also managed to survive the journey, there was a collective sigh of relief as a pair of hands pushed our bags through a hole and onto the table. We were greeted by a member of Odyssey staff and boarded a bus for what turned out to be a uncomfortable 20 minute journey bouncing along a pothole filled hard dirt road, reminding us both of some of the roads we experienced when in Cambodia. The side of the road was scattered with shacks made out of corrugated iron and there was a real sense of poverty on the island.
We boarded the tender which took us out the the Odyssey, we were shown to our cabins before having a quick briefing with an overview of the boat and our itinary. By now it was nearing midnight and we were shattered, so we headed to our room where we some passed out.
Diving Day 1: Kiyosumi Maru (2) and Yamagiri Maru (2)
I awoke at 5:45 AM, dog tired and nursing a headache; which improved after coffee and an omlette (this became the daily breakfast). After a thorough briefing we set up our kit and jumped into the water.
The Kiyosumi Maru was a 450 ft long merchant raider and now lays on her port side in 120 feet of water, two prominent torpedo holes forward of the superstructure explain her demise.
Visibility was limited to about 40ft (due to its location in repair anchorage) but was sufficient to see the outline of the wreck, the hull was almost unrecognisable being completely covered in hard corals. Amid the corals we saw feather dusters, pipe fish and nudibrances. Soft corals hung down from the side of the ship and smothered the davits. We had a leisurely first dive, swimming the length of the wreck, working through the torpedo holes and going into hold 6 which contained lots of 55 gallon drums as well as a couple of large prop blades. On the top of the wreck were a collection of removed artifacts displayed for easy viewing (this occured on all the wrecks) including bottles, lanterns and a pair of binoculars.
Our second dive on the Kiyosumi followed a simlar pattern, with the addition of checking out hold 5 which contained a bicycle at 75ft which has been fused to the side of the hold.
After lunch we headed towards the Yamagiri Maru. This wreck is 439 feet long and also lies on her port side in 120 feet of water, she was nearly empty of cargo as it was also in the repair anchorage. We started the dive by entering through the large torpedo hole and swimming through the coral encrusted structural deck beams, whilst I continued through to the engine room, Jo enjoyed the life that proliferated on the outside of the wreck. The engine room was vast with catwalks and stairways as well as the 6 large cylinders of the engine block, it was all a little disorientating as the ship lies on its side. There were stark reminders of the loss of life on the wrecks, with the remains of hand bones, long bones, and a skull that had fused to the ship's hull. Exiting the engine room I went into hold 5 which contained my first viewing of munitions - huge 14" shells which were scattered within the hold. The final dive of the day was a repeat of the previous dive, this time Jo warily accompanied me into the engine room (though not too far) and into the holds before spending the remainder of the dive marvelling at the very heavy soft coral growth on the wreck.
So ended our first day of diving; we relaxed with a post dinner beer, and started to get to know our fellow divers before retiring for some much needed sleep.
Diving Day 2: Fumitsuki (1) and Shinkoku Maru (3)
So began a routine of dragging ourselves out of bed, drinking much needed coffee and eating breakfast, followed by the first briefing of the day.
The Fumitsuki is the only military ship we dove on this trip (the word 'Maru' means merchant). The wreck is 320 foot long and sits upright in 120ft of water. The torpedo launcher was barely recognisable, but in its time could send 24 foot long torpedos up to 36 miles. In addition to the launcher we saw the track for torpedo transport, the stern gun and an artifact display including china, books and gas masks. There was a tool box laying on the seabed and beautiful coral growth on the davits.
The rest of the day we moored over the Shinkoku Maru, one of the 'must do' wrecks in the lagoon. The Shinkoku Maru was a tanker ship, sits upright in 130 ft of water and is one of the largest wrecks at 500 ft in length.
We chose to have a guide on the first dive; dropping onto the pilot house we entered the operating room, viewed the still intact operating table (along with a display of bones and bottles) and the tile soaking tub. We then moved down to the bottom of the hull and entered through a large bomb hole on the port side where we swam through the lower engine room, working through a maze of walkways and corridors. We passed the engines, gauges and machinery, as well as passing over human remains, shoes, a hot water kettle, and other artifacts of everyday life on the ship. Swimming room to room we slowly worked our way up to the higher engine rooms before we exiting through a broken skylight. This brought us out at the stern where we viewed the telegraph and speaking tube. Ascending to a shallower depth we passed through the photogenic kingpost and returned to the pilot house. Using our remaining bottom time we entered the upper level to view the 3 telegraphs before finally checking out artifacts displayed on top of the pilot house. Whilst the dive was all about the wreck its impossible not to make a mention of the thriving reef community that exists on this amazing wreck.
For the second dive on this wreck we chose to concentrate on the pilot house and bow. We worked slowly through the 2 levels wandering in and out of all the rooms. Every square inch of the bow was covered in anenomes and the mast was smothered in both hard and soft coral.
The final dive of the day took us back to the stern for a more leisurely look at the telegraph, before a final circuit around the galley, operating room and bow.
Diving Day 3: Unkai Maru (1) , Rio De Janeiro Maru (2), and Gosei Maru (1)
We started the day with a single dive on the 305ft long Unkai Maru, which sits upright at 130ft. After taking in the bow gun I dropped into the first hold. At 120 ft and with little ambient light it was very dark and the floor was thick in silt. Amongst the silt were a few gasmasks, shoes and helmets. Exiting, we passed over the burnt out and collapsed pilot house before swimming through the fallen stack and continuing towards the stern where the depth charge launchers are still positioned. The whole wreck was smothered in glass fish.
Our next 2 dives were on the 461 ft Rio De Jameiro which rests on its starboard side in 110 ft of water. It had a colourful life starting out as a passenger liner: then a submarine tender before finally becoming a transport vessel for troops and weapons. I took advantage of a guide for this dive, a wise decision with 40 minutes of wreck penetration before finally exiting the wreck. We travelled through passageways and decks, along catwalks and squeezed through some tight spots until we were in the bowels of the engine room. In addition to the main engine there were huge banks of switches and panels of gauges and dials. There is even a clock in there with its hands frozen at 6:45, the time of its sinking.
After lunch I jumped back in early to get to enjoy the rest of the wreck on my own. I headed towards the stern holds, the first of which contained hugh gun turrets, before heading towards the final hold which contains the 'must see' features of the wreck - hundreds and hundreds of sake bottles, whilst many of them are strewn all over the hold there are still hundreds of them stacked in wooden crates. Its an awesome sight.
The final dive for the day was on the Gosei Maru a 126ft long coastal freighter. She rests on her port side, at her deepest she is in 110 ft, with her stern being in only a few feet of water. We passed over torpedo bodies and shells before viewing the extensive bomb damage that caused her sinking. I went into the engine room before ending the dive at the soft coral encrusted props. It was a relaxing final dive for the day.
Diving Day 4: Hoki Maru (1) and Fujikawa Maru (3)
The 'Hokey Cokey' Maru (as we called it) was a New Zealand vessel which was captured and used by the Japanese navy. She is 405 ft long and sits upright in 175ft of water. We were making only one dive here and so headed straight to the main point of interest; a hold containing a bulldozer, tractor, steamroller and a number of trucks. The vehicles were in remarkably good condition and had very little growth on them (probably due to their depth of 135ft and the little ammount of ambient light). The rest of the wreck held little of interest.
The rest of the day we stayed on the Fujikawa Maru, which is probably the most dived wreck in the lagoon. She is a 437ft long transport ship and sits upright in 100ft of water. For the first dive I had the luxury of a guide to myself, our dive plan was to drop onto the bow, then enter hold 1 and work through the entire length of the wreck before exiting from hold 6. We were the first to enter the water to ensure maximum visibility in the engine room. We dropped into hold 1 which contained shells, machine guns and airplane parts and worked through the deteriorating structure and into hold 2. This is probably the most photographed hold, it contains zero airplanes as well as cockpits and an engine. Passing through hold 3 which contained the all too familiar 55 gallon drums we entered the main engine room, passing over the hugh cylinders I looked up to see catwalks spiralling above me. We viewed the other signature photo opportunity - the 'R2D2' air compressor before passing into the machine room which housed a lathe, grinding wheel and a vice mounted on a workbench. There was also a storeroom with shelves of tools and spare parts. Working down to the lower engine room we passed a variety of dials and gauges and saw the manufacturing plates of the engine. Hold 4 contained the torpedo hole which caused the ship to sink and is littered with china and bottles. Hold 5 was full of barrels and cables, whilst hold 6 contained galley supplies, stoves and yet more bottles. 40 minutes after entering hold 1 we exited at the stern before entering the poop deck to view the steering mechanism and compressor. Finally we headed back towards the pilot house before slowly made our way back to the surface.
On dive 2 Jo and I concentrated on the bow gun (the serial number is visible) and then spent time taking plenty of photos of the shells and zero fighters (and accessories) in the first 2 holds. Finally we worked through the levels of the pilot house.
Dive 3 was a leisurely dive working back through all the holds and engine room for a final time, before taking an opportunity to marvel at the coral covered mast and kingpins.
I did a brief night dive on the wreck viewing the coral as it fed. A shark circled around me during my safety stop.
Diving Day 5: Nippo Maru (2) and Heian Maru (1)
The Nippo Maru was one of the wrecks I was most looking forward to diving. She is 353ft long, sits upright in 150ft of water and was used by the Japanese as a fresh water transport. Again I had managed to secure a guide to myself and gearing up quickly we were the first to enter the water. We first entered the top level of the pilot house which is a popular photographic point due to the lack of growth (due to its depth) and the well preserved helm (named 'C3PO') and telegraph. We then entered the lower level of the pilot house touring the crews quarters before entering the upper level of the engine room. As the wreck sits upright we gently glided down the stairways working towards the lower levels. We passed the usual suspects - engine, gauges, dials and the artifacts of daily life. The engine room has no exits other than the way in or through the torpedo hole which is at the bottom level as 150 ft. The torpedo hole was our point of exit and we slowly rose up the side of the hull arriving on the bow of the deck at a depth of 140ft. We swam over to the 3 howitzers that sit upright on the deck, before passing through the companionway to see the Japanese mini tank (minus gun) which sits ont he deck at 115ft. Already in deco we moved up on top of the pilot house and woked our way up the kingpin before carrying out our mandatory stops.
For the second dive Jo had a guide to herself so I had the opportunity to solo dive the wreck. I concentrated on holds 1 and 2 which contain a multitude of 6" shells, water tanks, gas masks, bullets and barrels.
The Heian Maru is another hugh wreck, she was a purpose built 510ft long submarine tender and rests on her port side in 115ft of water. Jo and I both went with a guide. As we dropped onto the bow, the name of the wreck was clearly visible in both English and Japanese. We entered the first couple of holds which contain shells and torpedoes before entering the companionway which contains a number of submarine periscopes.
There was a final dive of the day on the Heian which we chose to omit.
Diving Day 6: San Francisco Maru (1) Kensho Maru (1)
The San Francisco was the most anticipated dive of the week, due both to its depth (165ft to the deck) and it being known as the 'million dollar wreck', based on the value of the cargo it held at its time of sinking. She was a passenger cargo ship, is 385ft long and sits upright. As this was to be a deco dive we chose to limit our dive to the most interesting part of the wreck - the bow and first 2 holds. The divers were split into 4 teams and Jo and I were in the last team. Entering the water we passed the other 3 teams who were in various stages of completing their deco stops before working our way to the mast whcih sits at 100ft. We worked down the mast until the bow came into view and then swam towards the bow gun. The gun is the most intact I had seen so far being completely free of coral growth (due to depth). Entering hold 1 we marvelled at the cargo - it is completely filled with mines and bombs, exiting back onto the bow we headed towards the 3 Japanese 3 man tanks which sit upright on the deck. We then entered hold 2 which contains 3 well preserved trucks complete with tankers as well as more bombs. There were artifacts displayed onto he deck (including a telephone and pair of binoculars) Already 20 minutes into deco we started our slow descent, completing our stops until with hugh grins we broke the surface. This was definately the dive of the trip.
The Kensho Maru was to be the final dive of the trip. She was used for transport, is 375ft in length and sits upright in 130ft of water. We dropped into the engine room, looked around the machine room before entering the pilot house to see the telegraphs and radios. We moved towards the bow to view the gun and ammunition boxes before heading ending the dive.
The following morning we departed the Odyssey to spend a final day at the Blue Lagoon Resort. We chilled in our room for the day, catching up on the interent and reading (I also amused myself by remembering the look on Jos face when she asked for a cup of Tea and was given hot water and lipton tbag and condensed milk !). In the evening we met up with the rest of the group for a final meal together before trying to catch a few hours sleep. We had a 11:30PM check out for a 02:00AM flight to Guam.
Whilst everyone else were heading back to the US we still had 3 weeks ahead of us. It had been a spectacular start to our trip, the diving is out of this world, the Odyssey is a well operated liveaboard, the crew were outstanding and we had a great time with our fellow divers - some of whom could well be coming to visit us in the Turks & Caicos.
Next stop: Guam
