Diving & Travel Guide to Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon

About Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon

Chuuk Lagoon, formerly Truk, is the shipwreck capital of the world and the single greatest wreck-diving destination on the planet. In February 1944, Operation Hailstone saw US carrier aircraft sink dozens of Imperial Japanese warships, cargo vessels, submarines, aircraft and auxiliaries in the sheltered lagoon, where they now rest in clear, calm water from 15 to 60 m deep. Today more than 40 intact wrecks form an underwater museum, many penetrable and draped in soft corals, sea fans and dense marine life. Highlights include the Fujikawa Maru with its iconic bow gun, the Shinkoku Maru's coral cathedral, the deep San Francisco Maru with its tanks and trucks, and the Heian Maru submarine tender. The enclosed lagoon offers calm conditions ideal for wreck divers of all levels, while the outer lagoon holds deeper, more technical sites. Chuuk is a must for every diver's bucket list.

Highlights

• ✓Fujikawa Maru: The iconic 130 m cargo ship with a bow gun, intact engine room and glassfish-filled decks.
• ✓Shinkoku Maru: A 150 m oil tanker with a coral-encrusted superstructure and resident batfish.
• ✓San Francisco Maru: A deep 117 m cargo ship holding mines, torpedoes, tanks and trucks.
• ✓Heian Maru: A huge 155 m submarine tender with torpedoes and massive engine components.

Getting There

Chuuk is reached by international flight to Chuuk International Airport (TKK) on Weno, primarily via Guam and Honolulu with United Airlines. Day boats from Weno's dive resorts reach the inner-lagoon wrecks in 15 to 30 minutes, while outer-lagoon and technical sites take longer. Liveaboards cover the remote wrecks.