As I lay here in the hammock with nothing but the dark sky and crystal clear stars shining I’m trying to grasp how real this all feels.
This morning we woke up after sleeping like babies and headed out for some breakfast. I ate 3 large banana pancakes, a plate of bacon, and two hash browns. Myself, Dan, Grace and Chris decided that we would skip the morning dive and do the island tour. Never did we think that the island tour literally meant a tour of the islands. Chuuk lagoon consists of many islands. The main island, which we stay on, is called Weno. Our tour took us to two smaller islands called Tonowas and Eten.
Tonowas was one of the main bases for the Japanese during WWII. It served as their base for their seaplanes. As we approached the Island our guide pointed out the seaplane ramp, which is what we used as our dock. The water was crystal clear with shades of blue. It was so dreamlike and we immediately all wanted to take a dip. We toured the island seeing everything from bunkers to abandoned high schools. Sadly, the government does not provide funding for the schools so they could not afford to keep them operational. All the children have to take a boat in from the outer islands to attend school on Weno. As we explored the island we came across plenty of old cement water tanks that were used during the war and many locals greeted us. Some of the locals were welcoming; others you could tell did not want you there. The children followed us everywhere we went and were super friendly. We came across and old communication building that the Japanese had used to communicate with the seaplanes. Locals had moved into the building and converted it to their home. I can only imagine what artifacts they may have found upon moving in. Before we hopped back on the boat we all decided that we have made it this far, we may as well go for a swim to say we did it. We joined some local children for a swim and it was such a great experience.
Our next stop was the island of Eten. The island was over grown with lots of vegetation. It was very much like St Lucia. It served as the main airfield for Japan during the war and had the headquarters located there as well. In the hotel we had seen an aerial view of the island during the war and it was just one island of dirt. Not a tree in sight. It blew our minds when we arrived to see a tropical jungle. We hiked through the bush for a good 20 mins passing villagers, tin shack for houses, graves, wells, children playing and finally, the Japanese Headquarters. It was what looked like a 3 story building. It was hard to tell because bombs had been dropped right on the roof and you could see where it had collapsed in. By this time we had a lot of local children tagging along for the journey. We were all shocked at the state of the building and how much damage the bombs had done. We headed back to the boat where we were greeted with fresh coconuts. YUM!!!
After a quick bite to eat, we were all so excited to finally start the diving aspect of the trip. We were heading out to dive the Fujikawa Maru. The ship was about 500’ in length equipped with massive gun turrets/cannons and a multiple cargo holds. The sea life on the wreck was amazing. There was plenty of fish and a really healthy reef. After exploring the top deck, we dropped down into the first cargo hold. I think the phrase “Holy Shit” best describes the experience. Immediately we spotted 3 Japanese “Zero” planes. These were trademark planes for the Japanese. The lightweight and being single manned made them great for maneuvering. There were barrels after barrels of what I assume was oil laying around the planes. I could have spent all day down there and completely forgot about the rest of the cargo holds. We headed to the second cargo hold that contained lots of ammunition. There was shell after shell and a mounted gun turret. Scattered amongst the ammunition were everything from gas masks to boots that soldiers would wear. We ascended back to the main deck and explored the coral reef.
On the deck there was a massive gun cannon. This cannon was easily 50 feet in length. At first I wasn’t too sure what it was because of the growth of the reef but sure enough it was a cannon. After talking with others on the group, we learned there were a lot more cool spots to explore such as the kitchen, the engine room and another cargo hold which contained a manned suicide torpedo. I can’t wait to get back on this wreck later in the week.
I can honestly say if I had to come home tomorrow, just today would have made this trip all worth it. I completely understand why this is rated as one of the best wreck diving spots in the world and I can’t wait for the next week of diving.
Unfortunately my footage didn’t turn out so well. I’ve adjusted my settings and fingers crossed tomorrows footage is a lot better. I will say I’m a little sad my Dad isn’t on the trip. I know this has been a dream of his for years. It’s a spot he had always wanted to dive so Dad, if you are reading this, I hope it gives you a glimpse into the sunken history of Chuuk.
Cheers for now!
—-
Justin Steele
The Green Ranger