Truk IslandMicronesia Truk Lagoon (Chuuk Lagoon) is the "Wreck diving capital of the world." It was the site of many fierce and deadly World War II battles and has the world's largest collection of intact shipwrecks. These wrecks are 200, 300, 400 and 500 feet in length, creating Truk's main diving attraction. They lie on the sand bottom like toppled skyscrapers, now overgrown with marine life. Many wrecks still contain their wartime cargoes - everything from bullets to bottles. The lagoon is one of Micronesia's incredible undersea phenomena - partly because it is manmade and partly because it is natural. While other regions of Micronesia contain World War II wrecks, Truk is the only place you will find the shipwrecks covered with giant soft corals in every color of the rainbow.
The warm, tropical waters of Truk Lagoon are nutrient rich and constantly stirred by inner lagoon currents. As a result of 51 years of submersion, these wrecks have been transformed into magnificent artificial reefs. Their decks are covered with a dazzling array of soft corals, sponges and other delicate marine life - making them look more like beautiful coral gardens than corroding steel hulks.
More than 50 warships are known to have sunk in Truk Lagoon and not all have been found. Of the 35 that have been charted and explored, two dozen are dived regularly. Each wreck has its own personality and contains its own treasure of cargo. One could devote a lifetime to diving these wrecks and still not see all parts of all of them. Diving these ships can become a passion and many divers come back year after year to see new ships and revisit favorites.
Liveaboard Dive Packages are offered by the S.S. Thorfinn.
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