| |
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
March/April 2010
Club Trip to CHUUK
Lagoon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunken
Japanese WW2 Fleet
Three
years in the planning, seven members of the club finally
got to dive Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The excitement prior to going was infectious, now all that’s
left are memories, but by God there are some great one’s
that I will never forget!
Chuuk
Lagoon was a large Japanese fleet anchorage and air base in
the mid-Pacific during WWII. The Japanese wrecks of Chuuk were
sunk on 17-18th February 1944 during Operation Hailstone, by
the Americans. There are over 40 wrecks in the lagoon, mostly
Japanese merchantmen as signified by the name “Maru”.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We
set off on Wednesday 24th March in usual style by means of an early
morning,
a minibus and bacon
butties courtesy of Tim’s lovely wife. We met one of our party
at the airport and then the marathon journey began. Four flights (London
to Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur to Manila, Manila to Guam, Guam to Chuuk)
and 2 days later we arrived at our destination. It was now Friday (I
think). The flight over the lagoon coming into land was spectacular.
After a short, but amusing, journey by the oldest bus on the island
we arrived at the Blue Lagoon Dive Resort on Weno. Keen as mustard
we dumped our kit in our rooms and went down the dive shop. We started
sorting our kit out for the following days diving which proved arduous
as we hadn’t really slept for 2 nights! Blue Lagoon resort
was great, everything very close. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We
spent the first 2 days diving with the Blue Lagoon dive centre and
doing 2 dives per day. This is what they seem typically to offer.
The guide was great, giving a good brief and generally looking after
us. We dived 4 wrecks over these 2 days, the Fujikawa Maru, the Heian
Maru, the Kansho Maru and the Kiyosumi Maru. We all (bar Princess)
dived twin 80cuft cylinders, opting for air as this was included
in the package.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dive
Team:- Don Batham, Ken McQuilton, Graham Rose, Tim Baxter,
Martin Kite, Fiona Jewkes & Gill Kite.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Odyssey Liveaboard
On
the Sunday after a day’s diving we checked out of our rooms
and were picked up by the Odyssey on the Blue Lagoon pier. The boat
was fantastic, and we settled in quickly. Everything from this point
on was a blur. Breakfast was at 6am followed by the most comprehensive
dive briefs you are ever likely to get. Once the “pool” was
declared open there was no stopping us! The guides would show you
around if that’s what you wanted (on these guided
tours you really did see more), or you could do your own
thing
from the dive
brief. Nitrox was on tap, 30% was fine for most of the
dives we did, if you wanted a different mix that was no
trouble
either. The boat
was really geared to keeping you in the water, if you want
to maximise
your diving then it beats land based hands down.
|
|
|
Bombs
& Rays
Over
the next 7 days we dived the Kiyosumi Maru, Yamagiri Maru, Fumitsuki,
Shinkoku Maru, Unkai Maru, Roi De Janeiro Maru, Sankisan Maru,
Hoki Maru, Fujikawa Maru, Nippo Maru, Heian Maru, San Francisco
Maru, Betty Bomber and Kansho Maru. The boat moves from site to
site and you can do multiple dives on the same wreck, typically
splitting the wreck up and diving different sections. The only
ship that wasn’t a “Maru” was the Fumitsuki.
She was a destroyer that was hit by three 500-lb bombs on 17th
February 1944. There were many highlights, from sharks (Tim splashing
his hand trying to attract them off the back of the boat, until
he actually touched one and quickly withdrew his hand), to rays, turtles,
and then the masses of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ordnance
still on the wrecks like, tanks, zero’s, bulldozers,
lorries, bullets, bombs, mines, torpedoes and all the personal
items.
There was even a book from which you could still read the
pages! The
engines rooms were a favourite, with everything still in
place, even a set of spanners in size order still on the
wall.
On the Sunday morning we got dropped off back at the Blue Lagoon,
we checked in and went diving. We opted to do an outer reef dive
which although was more expensive and a longer trip, was well worth
it.
|
|
|
The
water was crystal clear and we saw white tip, black tip and grey
reef sharks all on one dive. Our last dive of the trip was the I-169
which was a submarine.
On the Monday we went to Dublon Island for a tour. The highlight
of this was dropping into a local school and all the kids running
out and practising their English.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday
saw the start of the long journey home. This was broken up in Manila
where we spent the night in the Dusit Hotel before onward
travel the next day. We arrived home on Thursday morning tired (again)
but happy. Thanks to all who took part. It was great. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
