The many islands within this huge atoll are crowned with natural beauty. The outer barrier reef is punctuated with idyllic sand spits dotted with coconut palms. The high islands in the central lagoon rise into the blue island skies.
Chuuk, with its vast, shallow, beautiful lagoon is a Mecca for wreck divers. A major shipwreck site from WWII, Truk Lagoon is unquestionably the world's best shipwreck diving destination. Here, more than 50 hulks have been transformed into shipreefs, holding the very best of the undersea world and maritime history at one site. Hard and soft corals in a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes attract divers worldwide for both daytime and night diving. The vast selection of artifacts still found on the wrecks after five decades are testament to the unique history of the Micronesian Islands. The historical aspect of Truk Lagoon is not totally hidden by the jungles. Japanese lighthouses, perched high atop the lagoon's finest overlooks, can be reached by hiking or driving. Old runways, command centers, gun emplacements, cave networks, hospitals and libraries can be found with the help of a knowledgeable guide.
In Chuuk, the pace of life slows and tropical nature is easily observed and appreciated. Many of the islands offer lush vegetation that harbors rare and migratory birdlife. Enthusiasts have been known to camp high in the hills to observe these special avians. Wild orchids and other flora are found in the scenic and sometimes rugged terrain of the islands. Traveling by ocean kayak from island to island is one way to enjoy Chuuk. Often overlooked are the outer reefs where a great variety of fish, both pelagic and reef dwelling, venture near cascading coral walls that stretch into the blue abyss of the Pacific Ocean. Windsurfing and sailing in the lagoon passes is also done during tradewind season.
Continental Air Micronesia has direct flights from Guam or you can experience the "Island Hopper" from Hawaii - with stops on many of the islands along the way. The airport departure fee is $15.
History: It is not known when the islands of Chuuk were first settled, but, based on archaeological evidence, these islands had originally been settled more than 2000 years ago. It is not known with certainty where the original inhabitants came from. Based on archaeological evidence, it seems that, after about 200 AD, there was no continuous settlement until about 1300 AD. It is probable that people came from Pohnpei and Kosrae to the east, based on many legend and language similarities. As part of the colonial territory of the Caroline Islands, Truk was part of the Spanish, then German and the Japanese empires.
During World War II, Truk Lagoon was the Empire of Japan's main base in the South Pacific theatre. A significant portion of the Japanese fleet was based there, with its administrative center on Tonoas (south of Weno). Truk was the base for Japanese operations against Allied forces in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Due to its heavy fortifications, both natural and manmade, the base at Truk was known to Allied forces as "the Gibraltar of the Pacific".
Operation Hailstone, executed by the United States in 1944, culminated in one of the most important naval battles of the war at Truk. Twelve Japanese warships, thirty-two merchant ships and 249 aircraft were destroyed, although the larger warships had received advance warning and were already at sea.
Chuuk was one of six districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands which were administered by the United States under charter from the United Nations from the end of the Second World War to the early 1990s.
English-Speaking?: YES
Weather: We are only 7 degrees north of the equator and our climate is tropical. The trade winds provide cooling breezes and the rainy season gives us lush, tropical growth.
Customs/VISA: Dress is casual, shorts and t-shirts are widely acceptable on the resort grounds and of course on the dive boats. For women, local custom is to wear a skirt or wrap to cover the thighs when away from the resort. Light clothing is comfortable in our climate.
Lush vegetation and simple living punctuate the lives of the lagoon. Fishing, weaving and tending garden supplant the subsistence lives that many sustain on their individual islands. It is not unusual to see women waist deep in the mangroves hunting for a special delicacy or men walking the reefs by torchlight at night looking for baby octopus. Boat makers create vessels high in the hills of the inner islands and take them down to sea when finished. Open hearth fires are still used to cook the daily meals. Life here is close to nature and lived in conjunction with the land and the sea. Local carvers are also famous for using beautiful local woods to carve warrior masks and busts. And the Chuukese love stick is part of a legendary practice of courtship unique to this island group.
Currency: The currency in Chuuk is the US dollar. Major credit cards and travelers checks are also widely accepted.
70 years after WWII, victims’ relatives hold memorial service at sea - Relatives who lost loved ones when Japanese naval ships were sunk during an intense attack by U.S. forces on the Chuuk Islands in the central Pacific Ocean 71 years ago visited the location on Tuesday and offered flowers to remember those who lost their lives at sea...more
A WWII Battle Frozen in Time - Seventy years ago, a deadly battle took place in the Micronesian Sea. Today, extensive remains of the Japanese fleet lie at the bottom of the ocean, ready to be explored...if you dare...more
Remote Pacific boarding school runs out of food - Weipat High School on Onoun, one of the remote outer islands of the Federated States of Micronesia state of Chuuk, which provides education and accommodation to around 270 students from all the islands around the region, ran out of food last week...more
Chuuk State Passes Shark Fishing Ban - All four of the Federated States of Micronesia have enacted shark protections, now that the state of Chuuk has passed legislation that bans shark fishing in its waters...more
Ghostly Japanese shipwrecks at the bottom of Chuuk Lagoon - When most people think of scuba diving, they usually envision colorful coral reefs, turtles and countless schools of fish. At Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia, however, the star attraction is not the abundance of life that exists beneath the waves, but rather the “ghost fleet” of Imperial Japanese vessels lying at the bottom of the ocean...more
Satellite internet service coming to Chuuk - Chuuk is the most populous of the four states that constitute the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). This is the second deal O3b has signed with FSMTC, following a July 2013 agreement covering neighboring Yap...more
As distant Pacific islands flood, a climate-driven exodus to the U.S. grows - There's an exodus underway from Pacific Island nations to America, one driven by multiple factors, according to island leaders and migrants. People relocating to Hawaii and other states say they've come for better jobs and health care. But there's also a less recognized but unmistakable contributor, Deeley explained: climate change....more
Chuuk: Underwater time bombs - Nearly 70 years on, shipwrecks are a looming time bomb for the environment and inhabitants of Chuuk Atoll. The shipwrecks are a major tourist attraction and Chuuk Lagoon is a paradise for divers. But decades of corrosion, shifting tides and storms have weakened many of the wrecks...more
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