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Archive for April, 2010
Diving the Florida Keys – Part 2: Islamorada – Route 1 Mile Marker 90 – 63
The Eagle Wreck
Islamorada is actually a village consisting of six islands including Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper and Lower Matecumbe keys, and Long Key. It is well known for sport fishing, as the bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and redfish are abundant and almost always biting. But anglers aren’t the only ones who go to Islamorada for the variety and volume of the fish. Divers flock to the area’s high profile coral heads, broad ledges and wreck cracks and crevices that shelter snapper, grunts, goatfish, angelfish, jacks, porgies, hogfish, barracudas, lobsters, grouper, nurse sharks and moray eels. Islamorada offers a wide variety of shallow and deep coral reefs, mini walls, shipwrecks, and even an underwater habitat for scientific research, the Aquarius.
Visibility in Islamorada waters is between 80-100 feet. The average annual air temperature is 80F degrees while the average water surface temperature is 75° F. The warmest time of the year to dive is between July and August, but diving is done year round. Examples of Islamorada dive sites include:
The Eagle Wreck – This 287-foot ship was intentionally sunk in 1985 as part of the Florida Keys Artificial Reef Association program. She sits in 110 feet of water, although parts of her structure start as shallow as 75 feet. The ship rests on her starboard side, and is wrapped in encrusting sponge and coral and populated by huge schools of grunt, tarpon, silversides and jack, as well as cobia, jewfish, and nurse sharks. The Eagle sits in water outside of the protective reef, so while visibility is incredible, the current can sometimes be strong.
Conch Reef/Wall – Here the reef leads to a wall (rare for Key waters) that drops down to a depth of 100 feet. A proliferation of barrel sponges call this spot home, from thimble sized versions up to larger than life specimens. The depth is a nice change from other reefs in the Keys, and offers the chance to regularly see pelagic fish in the blue. The current in this area can run from moderate to strong; in strong times it can be great for drift dives. This site is popular for good, year-round visibility.
Pickles Reef – A long, narrow, spur and groove reef with plenty of opportunity to observe macro critters like flamingo tongue cowries and banded coral shrimp. At a maximum depth of 25 feet, this spot is perfect for a long second dive with an underwater camera. If anyone can tell me why this site is named after a sandwich condiment, I would appreciate being enlightened.
The San Jose and the Infante Wrecks – Two galleons belonging to the famous Silver Plate Fleet of 1733 were lost in a hurricane off the Keys and went down within a mile of one another, both in quite shallow water (15 feet). Not much is left of the Infante except some timber planking originally from the ship’s deck and her uniquely shaped ballast stones. The San Jose collided with the sand flats, where her stern section disintegrated and became detached from the main hull which sank another 200 yards away with its ballast stones. An easily-accessible window into history.
Davis Reef – This popular outer reef on the edge of a flat shallow bank attracts huge schools of fish including grunts and schoolmaster snapper. Several personable green moray eels have also added to this site’s fame. Nurse sharks, turtles, parrotfish, angelfish, lobsters and other types of eels frequent this spot, giving visitors plenty to see. Divers of all skill levels can appreciate the reef, which starts shallow and reaches down to 80 feet. A statue of Buddha sits on a concrete block in the middle of the site, adding to the serenity of the dive.
I often make the mistake of assuming that the best dive destinations require long plane flights and significant concessions in topside amenities. The more I learn about the Florida Keys, however, the more wrong I turn out to be. I originally set out to write a single post about diving in the Keys, but quickly realized that this scuba story is much too fantastic to tell in just one page.
The 120-mile Florida Keys island chain is home to the continental United States’ only living-coral barrier reef with more than 600 varieties of fish and more than 500 wrecks. The Keys begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. In 1990, the U.S. government established the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to protect the marine habitat throughout the islands, which has promoted healthy reefs and abundant fish. Diving there is easy, with visibility up to 120 feet and mooring buoys at almost every dive site, all of which are a short boat ride from shore.
Since the Keys are laid out in a long line that stretches down Route 1, it is helpful to think of them in sections from north to south: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and the Lower Keys/Key West. Though they all boast crystal clear water and topside fun, each part has unique diving opportunities to enjoy.
Part 1: Key Largo – Route 1 Mile Marker 112 – 90
Key Largo is only about an hour drive from Miami, making it perfect for travelers seeking instant gratification after touching down. There is plenty of activity topside to keep a visitor busy. Sport fishing is big there, with opportunities to catch sailfish offshore, bonefish along the Atlantic shallows, or redfish and tarpon in Florida Bay. Also, Key Largo’s proximity to the Everglades makes it a great destination for kayakers, birders and other eco-tourists. If shopping is more your thing, there a tons of quaint shops in the little beach villages along Route 1, many of which sell artwork and local crafts.
Since 1960, Key Largo has been promoting marine conservation by limiting certain kinds of fishing and protecting its reef, so it is no wonder that the sea life is so prolific there. Key Largo diving encompasses coral reefs, artificial reefs / wrecks, ledges, walls and centuries old shipwrecks. Depths range from 18-120 feet. The normal weather is sunny and warm with air temperature in the mid 80’s and water temperature ranging from the mid 80’s in the summer to the low 70’s in the winter. Though there are several deep-water sites, a major draw for the Largo reefs is the shallow depths, where a diver can get ample bottom time to study the area’s extensive variety of fish species.
Key Largo has plenty of sites to keep a diver busy for days. A few of the more notable spots include:
Spiegel Grove Wreck – Ask a diver to name one artificial reef off the Florida coast, and chances are the Spiegel Grove will come to mind. This 510-foot Navy transport ship was sunk in June 2002 as another intentional addition to the Key Largo area’s impressive list of shipwrecks. After more than three years resting on its starboard side, waves from Hurricane Dennis pushed the ship into an upright position, where it still rests today at a depth of 45 to 130 feet. Marine growth is coming along nicely, but the star of the show is still the ship itself, a positively enormous craft that really takes your breath away when it comes into view.
The Elbow – This spur and groove formation reef boasts healthy corals and plenty of nooks and crannies for critters to shelter. Though it is shallow, just 12-35 feet, divers find the abundant coral and multitude of fish hold their attention quite well. The only way you could miss the site’s tons of resident moray eels and barracuda is if you stayed on the dive boat. Several wrecks at this site, including a 752 ton Civil War –era steamer sunk in 1866, add to the location’s appeal.
Key Largo Dry Rocks – The well-photographed Statue of Christ of the Abyss lifts its arms toward the surface at this shallow site, perhaps the most famous spot in the Key Largo Marine Sanctuary. The statue was cast in Italy and donated to the Underwater Society of America by Egidi Cressi, an Italian industrialist and diving equipment manufacturer. Many divers come to see and photograph the bronze statue, but the site has natural wonders to offer as well, such as incredible specimens of brain coral and classic coral fingers teeming with marine life.
The Benwood – This wreck was an English-built cargo vessel that sunk in 1942 during WWII. The stern lies in extremely shallow water, with the bow reaching down to about 45 feet. There isn’t much coral growth here, but the wreck itself is interesting to explore, and divers are frequently accompanied by huge schools of grunt and porkfish.
Molasses Reef – This spur and groove reef drops to 55 feet in water made crystal clear by the Gulf Stream. High profile coral heads and massive congregates of tropical marine life define this popular reef. Almost any tropical marine flora and fauna you can name can be found here.
Bibb and Duane Wrecks – These twin 327-foot US Coast Guard cutters were sunk intentionally as dive attractions in 1987 as part of an artificial reef program sponsored by the Keys Association of Dive Operators. The Duane lies upright with a slight list to starboard at a depth of about 100 ft. The Bibb overturned while sinking and lies on her starboard side starting at 95 feet. Both are now are completely covered in colorful coral and gorgonians. Divers beware, however, as swift currents sometimes sweep this site, taking it from an intermediate dive to an advanced one.
Whether you think of Great White Sharks as ferocious or just misunderstood, you have to admit they are exciting animals. Due to their nomadic lifestyle and periodic deep water forays, we have limited knowledge about them, which perhaps adds to their mystique. We do know that these powerful sea-dwellers can grow to over 20 feet and live to upwards of 100 years. They are found in almost all coastal and offshore waters which have water temperature between 54 and 75 °F, with greater concentrations off the coasts of Australia, South Africa, California, the northeastern US, Mexico’s Isla Guadalupe, New Zealand and the waters of the Mediterranean. Their preferred habitat is the cooler, deeper waters of the ocean and the waters around oceanic islands and rocky outcrops where deep water is within easy reach.
Great Whites are truly apex predators. They are capable of sensing the blood of an injured animal from over a kilometer away. Their Ampullae of Lorenzini organ, which enables them to detect and stalk the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals, can detect movement that generates as little as half a billionth of a volt. Though Hollywood has spectacularly portrayed them as preferring humans for lunch, they actually live on a diet of fatty fish and animals such as rays, tuna, smaller sharks, dolphins, porpoises, whale carcasses, seals, sea lions, and occasionally sea birds. Diving with Great White Sharks is certain to be on anyone’s list of Most Extreme Scuba. So, where can aquanauts meet these beauties eye to eye?
• Farallon Islands, California, USA – The Farrallones are located 28 miles west of San Francisco. A protected National State Wildlife Refuge since 1969, the Farrallones are an important research spot for great whites. These islands are one of the few places in the world where great whites can be observed in predatory attacks upon seals, birds, and sea lions from dry land. But doesn’t getting in the water with them sound like such a better idea? Cage diving is offered from late-September through November. Divers are offered a tank/regulator or a hookah setup. Since random chumming of the water is illegal in the Refuge, operators often pull along seal “decoys” to attract the sharks. It is an amazing day trip from the city, with many of the operators leaving right from the tourist hub of Fisherman’s Warf.
• Isla de Guadalupe, Pacific Coast, Mexico – Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island about 145 miles offshore of Baja Mexico, 200 miles south of San Diego. Due to the remote location of the island, this trip is done via a live aboard operation over multiple days. The island has a dramatic sheer rock wall extending hundreds of feet up into the air, as well as hundreds of feet into the ocean. The islands’ large population of seals attracts the white sharks in large numbers. The rocky outcrops of the islands have dramatic drop-offs around the edges that reach down into cool, deep water, also attracting our toothy friends. Visibility at this site is fantastic, up to 100 feet or more. Also, the water temperature ranges from 67 to 70 F, making it much warmer than some other Great White watching spots.
• Dyer Island, False Bay, South Africa – South African Great White cage diving occurs mainly in False Bay and the Whale Coast. Dyer Island is a small, low, and rocky island located just offshore from Gansbaai in the Western Cape of South Africa. During winter, the warm Agulhas Current sweeps down from the Indian Ocean, meeting the cold Benguela Current, creating a temperate zone just off the South African coast – providing ideal conditions for the Great White Shark in particular. This island serves as a breeding ground for a wide variety of seabirds, while its neighbor, Geyser Rock, serves as a home for a large resident seal population. White Sharks are seen on a regular basis in the channel between the two islands (“Shark Alley”) where they feed on a variety of seals, seabirds, and penguins. As an added bonus, Great White sharks in these waters often display very unusual, but highly spectacular breaching when chasing their prey, which makes for some amazing topside photos.
• The Neptune Islands, South Australia – The Neptune Islands sit on a shelf south east of Port Lincoln off South Australia. Grey granite and coastal loam make up these picturesque islands, which support an array of wildlife, including many bird species, a large colony of fur seals, as well as a colony of endangered Australian sea lions. Known as the place where the hit movie “Jaws” was filmed, the waters around these islands are a natural feeding area for Great Whites. Most shark diving here is done via a live aboard vessel. Operators practice cage diving combined with surface bait to give divers an unforgettable experience, sometimes with more than one Great White in sight at a time. The water is very cold here, but the shark action is definitely hot.
• Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy –Have you swam off the coast of Sicily or found the offshore waters of Nice to be nice? Oh yes, there were Great White sharks there, and you didn’t even know it. Great White sightings are becoming more common in the Mediterranean, where a high concentration of nutrients attracts some of the whites’ favourite snacks: large pelagic fish, dolphins and turtles. There have been numerous sightings of the Whites along the Spanish, French, Italian and Croatian coasts, but by far the largest concentration of the sharks is in the channel between Sicily and Tunisia. As far as I can determine, no one does cage diving here because of the infrequent nature of the sightings. However, there are many dive companies that operate out of Lampedusa, Sicily, which puts you in waters with the highest density of Great White sightings in all of the Mediterranean. Divers have encountered large white sharks while diving in the open sea at Sicilian Channel sites such as Pantelleria, Malta, and southwest Marretimo. Though rare, these experiences are as amazing as you can get: no chumming, no decoys and no cage bars between you and the jaws of the Great White.
Dinner time!
With approximately 700 islands, over 2,500 cays, and 100,000 square miles of ocean, the Bahamas collectively comprise a massive scuba paradise. Grand Bahama Island, long one of the hubs of Bahamian tourism, is currently being rediscovered by divers and developers alike. Commerce and tourism has always centered on Freeport, the second-largest city in the Bahamas. But in the past few years, West End, Grand Bahama, is getting significant attention as well. Still, Freeport remains the home of most of the dive activity, and a true jewel in the crown of Bahamian diving.
Diving Grand Bahama is a lesson in diversity, from outrageous walls to high-octane animal encounters, shallow- to medium-depth reefs, excellent wrecks and even freshwater caverns. There is also an array of specialty dive programs like shark feeding dives, dolphin dives, diving with rebreathers, and riding underwater scooters. While the walls bordering the island’s south coast are accessible to casual divers, depths can exceed recreational limits. Most diving is done on shallow- to medium-depth reefs, where several excellent wrecks are found. Winter water temps drop to the 70s, while summer temps peak in the high 80s. The seas are calm year-round, except during winter storms. Visibility averages 80 to 100 feet. Some of the dive highlights around Grand Bahama Island include:
Cave Diving – The expansive Lucayan cavern system honeycombs Grand Bahama and offers several points of access at both inland and oceanic blue holes. Advanced divers can explore spectacular sites such as Ben’s Cavern, a sinkhole located in the Lucayan Caves National Park. Here stalactites and stalagmites provide dramatic underwater scenery while migratory bats steal the show topside. Other caverns to explore include, Owl’s Hole and Mermaids Lair.
Shark diving/Shark feeding – In scuba diving circles, the Bahamas are pretty well known for their sharks. Divers commonly see black tips, white tips, grey reef, and nurse sharks on dives. The only way to pack more of them into a dive is to feed them, which is what several companies have started offering in the Bahamas. Venture to a depth of 50 feet where instructors in protective chain mail lure dozens of sharks into close range with tasty tidbits.
Dolphin experiences – A company called UNEXSO offers “The Dolphin Experience,” the chance to scuba dive with one or more of its resident dolphins out in the open ocean. The company houses 16 bottlenose dolphins maintained in an enclosure at Sanctuary Bay, 10 of which have been born in captivity. If wild dolphins are more of your thing, White Sand Ridge north of West End, Grand Bahama won’t disappoint. Here, bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen rooting around in the shallow sand bank, and a resident pod of spotted dolphins is frequently seen.
Theo’s Wreck – Purposefully sunk in 1982 to create an artificial reef, Theo’s Wreck is located just east of Xanadu Beach. The wreck is about 230 feet long and rests on a flat sandy patch of the ocean floor on its port side, between the deep reef and the drop-off at a depth of about 101 feet. Over the past two decades the structure has become a haven for a mass of marine life. The wreck is intact and is covered in a blanket of yellow and orange cup corals and pink and red sponges, as well as colorful algae. The bow anchor chain in particular has splendid gorgonian sea fans. The shaded part of the hull is completely smothered in orange false gorgonians. Sea life found here includes barracuda, parrotfish, angelfish, snappers and moray eels. At the nearby reef drop-off, divers are likely to find larger fish and turtles.
Neoprene is not the most forgiving of fabrics...
Creature of the Deep Terror (the Unknown Fish Phobia) -
Rationally, I know that 99.999999999% of all creatures in the ocean have no intention (or appetite) to eat a human. We are too big, too bony and we tend to fight back when chewed. For some reason, however, my Creature of the Deep Terror tends to increase the moment visibility decreases. The minute I can no longer see clearly (say during a night dive or when the diver in front of me kicks up silt) I start to envision unknown sea creatures stalking me from the shadows, just waiting to use their teeth, tentacles or other persuasive parts to turn me into dinner. This phobia seems to be shared by many, as according to Jacques Cousteau: “Man, of all the animals, is probably the only one to regard himself as a great delicacy.”
Fear of the Numismatic Museum – Many of the most pristine and prolific dive spots on the planet are located in very remote locations. When planning a dive trip to an out-of-the-way place, I have a recurring fear that my destination will be devoid of topside activities. This is not to say that I spend much time topside on scuba trips, but it is nice to have dry options for when the sea is too choppy or I need to get back on a plane within 24 hours. The Numismatic Museum is not the place where people with breathing problems go to study ancient inhalers, as I originally thought. The term ‘numismatic’ means the study or collection of currency. This extravaganza, located in Aruba, houses 30,000 historic coins from around the world. In an effort to protect these coins without using a vault the Arubans put the most boring name they could think of on the museum to deter any shred of interest or excitement about the place or its contents. I hear the name is working so well they are able to leave the doors unlocked at night. Places like this fuel my fear of topside boredom.
Creature of the Reef Terror (Known Fish Phobia) – There are certain reef dwellers that give me the willies. Unlike the Unknown Fish Phobia, I know exactly what these creatures are and where I can find them. Sea snakes freak me out, as do free-swimming eels (but for some unknown reason eels that are thoroughly parked inside a burrow are fine. Go figure.) Sea urchins make me uncomfortable, perhaps because they reflect my topside fear of needles. I also find highly-poisonous scorpionfish to be creepy, usually because I never seem to spot them until a divemaster merrily points them out. Just for the record, however, I want to point out that large animals, like sharks, rays and whales do not fall into this category. If any of these creatures are reading this post, I want them to know they are not scary and are welcome to join me on any dive.
Fear of Neoprene – My concern falls into two categories: not having my wetsuit on me and having my wetsuit on me. First, similar to chocolate and my big brown dog, I need a wetsuit. Without it, no matter how similar the ocean temperature is to bath water, I get cold and enter a shivering state faster than an octopus can strip a tasty clam. In a last ditch effort to warm up, I sometimes swim back and forth like a crazed tuna, a maneuver that has gotten me “rescued” several times by divemasters thinking I was out of my gourd. Which brings me to my second category of concern: the suits are, by design, tighter than NYC rush hour traffic. They usually have a zipper, put there like bait to lure the diver into thinking they actually have a chance at getting into the suit. I have heard that powder can sometimes enable the process, but no amount of talc could help me win this battle of The Bulge.
Back Roll Dread – A backroll is a highly efficient maneuver to get all divers into the water at once, thus addressing problematic currents or the lack of boat mooring facilities. As I stare out over the horizon, the water looks so very inviting. But once I turn around to face the center of the boat in anticipation of executing the backroll, the inspiration is replaced by panic as I imagine some great sub-aquatic drain plug being pulled, removing all water from the area. As the water recedes, I envision falling to the rocky bottom far below (don’t ask me what the boat is then floating on; my fear never really plays itself out that far) or landing in the jaws of some waiting predator that has been exposed. But then “splash,” I’m in, and the ridiculous phobia fades away as I acclimatize to the beautiful blue around me. I may have some irrational scuba phobias, but fortunately they never seem to last too long.
Chuuk Atoll (also referred to as Truk) in the Caroline Islands of Micronesia is infamous for its enormous lagoon. The lagoon is the final resting place for more than 100 ships, planes and submarines – the legacy of a fierce World War II battle in 1944 between the Imperial Japanese Fleet and Allied carrier planes. The majority of the wrecks lie off DubIon, Eten, Fefan and Uman Islands. Their cargoes of tanks, trucks, airplanes, mines, bombs, machine gun bullets and thousands of other artifacts like china and sake bottles are there to be explored. These wrecks are now fully incorporated into the environment as “artificial reefs,” but also stand as monuments to those lives that were lost in the battle. A healthy dose of respect and reverence as well as a “no touch” attitude is necessary to dive Truk.
Diving is good year-round in Truk Lagoon. Since it is sheltered from the Pacific Ocean currents and waves, the diving is easy and relaxed. Visibility varies 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. There is plenty of marine life including fish and healthy coral to see in Truk, but the real stars of the show are the wrecks themselves, as well as their cargo. Some of the more interesting sites include:
Fujikawa Maru – The 437 ft. long Fujikawa Maru was a Japanese freighter that served as an armed aircraft ferry with six holds, four of which are open. She sits upright on the sea floor with the upper decks covered in brilliant soft corals. Lionfish, blennys, anemones with clownfish make this wreck one of the most popular dives in the lagoon. The cargo hold contains parts for Zero fighters including props, wings, fuselages as well as aircraft guns, machine gun bullets and sake bottles. There are large deck guns on the bow and stern, and the engine room with machine shop is well worth a visit. Divers can swim through the wreck and out through the torpedo hole that sank her. Any trip to Truk lagoon includes multiple visits to this fascinating wreck.
Amagisan Maru – Built 1933, the Amagisan Maru met its end from both bomb and torpedo hits. It lies on its port side in pretty deep water, so there isn’t a lot of coral growth. But, what it lacks in coral it more than makes up for in unique features, including a large hole in the forward hold from a torpedo hit that divers can swim through, an intact bow gun, and cargo holds overflowing with aircraft spare parts, bikes, cars, trucks and fuel drums.
Heian Maru – The 530 ft. long Heian Maru lies on her side in 110 ft. of water. Though once a passenger ship, she was used by the Japanese Sixth Submarine Fleet as their headquarters during the war. This wreck boasts two enormous propellers and some interesting torpedo warheads (a perfect example of where the “no touch” attitude is needed).
San Francisco Maru – The 385 ft. long San Francisco Maru was used to ferry equipment and supplies. One of the oldest ships in the Lagoon, the San Francisco Maru was built in 1919. The bottom of the stern is at 210 ft. with the front mast reaching to 90 ft. Several tanks, a truck, a few fuel tankers, an aircraft tug, a steamroller and some intact mines can all be spotted in the hold.
Nippo Maru – The 353 ft. long Nippo Maru sits upright, but slightly slanted, at a depth of 50 to 150 feet. There is little coral due to the depth but this ship has the best preserved wheelhouse (complete with telegraph) in the lagoon. The holds are quite interesting, full of shells, mines, fuel drums, crates of sake bottles, artillery guns, a tank, and 2 trucks. Water transportation tanks can be spotted in the forward hold. The deck has a cargo of (possibly) captured American guns and three intact anti aircraft guns. Glass fish and jellyfish appear all over this site.
Shinkoku Maru – The well-preserved, 500 ft. long Shinkoku Maru is one of the most colorful and spectacular dives in Truck because of the significant sea life covering her. This tanker sits upright on the sea floor in about 38 metres of water, 12 metres to the top of the bridge and 20 meters to the main deck. Her wheelhouse and forward deck are covered with soft corals and sponges in shades of red, yellow, pink and white. Divers consistently see schools of tropical fish in the shallow areas of this wreck. Small guns are mounted fore and aft.
Submarine 1-169- Lying on its port side in about 38 meters of water, is the 343½ foot long submarine, the I-169. During the war, the sub was converted to a troop and supply carrier. It submerged during the battle, but due to an error in closing the main induction valve, the sub sunk, never to see the surface again. This wreck is interesting for its structure; there is limited coral and sponge growth.
Rio De Janeiro Maru – The 463 foot long Rio De Janeiro Maru was a combined passenger cargo liner that was converted to a submarine tender and depot ship before being re-classified as a transport and based in Truk. A direct bomb hit made her one of the first ships to become a wreck in the lagoon. She lies on the starboard side with the deck only 15 meters from the surface. Knowledgeable guides can take divers on a tour of the ship’s insides and enormous engine room. The holds contain supplies such as crates of beer bottles, empty sake bottles and 6″ guns from scrapped cruisers destined for a coastal battery. Divers particularly enjoy exploring the huge props and rudder, where they are usually accompanied by equally impressive-sized fish.
Sankisan Maru –The Sankisan Maru was a medium sized freighter that was built 1920, then captured by the Japanese 1942 and turned into a supply ship. It was sunk by a bomb hit that ignited ordnance stored in its hold, resulting in bridge to stern destruction. The forward part of ship is still well preserved. The holds contain Zero engines, bullets, and medicine bottles. Divers can see trucks on the deck. This ship’s masts go almost to the surface and are covered in an abundance of colorful coral and tropical fish.
Plane Wrecks – Approximately 250 airplanes were destroyed in the lagoon. There are many warplanes at relatively shallow depths that are ideal for 2nd and 3rd dives later in a diving day. Some of the notable airplane wrecks are:
- Upside Down Zero, a Mitsubishi A6M5 attack fighter, in 60 ft. of water
- Betty Bomber, a Mitsubishsi G4M1 attack bomber 65 ft. long with an 82 ft. wingspan that sits in 50 feet of water
- The Emily Flying Boat and Kate Torpedo Bomber
Reef Dives – Though divers usually think of Truk as a wreck destination, there are actually a number of good reef dives on the other edges of Chuuk’s barrier reef. Here divers can visit the passes or vertical walls on the outside of the reef. Visibility on the outside of Truk Lagoon is generally very good, often surpassing 200 ft. Sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, tuna and schools of fish are frequently seen. Sites include: Northeast Pass, Salat Pass, Shark Reef and Pisamwe Drop-off.