Wednesday, November 30, 2011

More Truk Lagoon Pics



       Calm waters on most days











     Fish life is prolific











Finning along the side of the Rio De Janeiro Maru


Location: Near Uman, Chuuk Lagoon

Description: 9,626 ton passenger / cargo liner converted to submarine tender

Length: 142 metres (463 feet)

Depth: Max depth 35 metres (115 feet), 12 metres to top of wreck (39 feet)

The Rio de Janeiro Maru is the fourth largest ship in the lagoon. Lying on starboard side. Boxes of sake bottles are in the rear hold and the rear telegraph hangs down. The superstructure is very intact although the bow is damaged on the port side.







Most ships have vast quantities of Ordnance.

































More Truk Lagoon Dives

Crockery
from The Kensho Maru

The Kensho Maru, also translated as Kansho Maru.

Location: Between Fefan, Tonoas and Weno, Chuuk Lagoon

Description: 4,862 ton passenger / cargo ship

Length: 116 metres (384 feet)

Depth: Max depth 35 metres (130 feet), 24 metres (80 feet) to deck, 18 metres (60 feet) to top of wreck



from The Heian Maru




Location: Between Weno and Tonoas, Chuuk Lagoon

Description: 11,614 ton passenger / cargo luxury liner converted to submarine tender

Length: 155 metres (509 feet)

Depth: Max depth 36 metres (120 feet), 12 metres (40 feet) to top of wreck

Heian Maru is the largest ship in Truk lagoon and lies on its port side. The name is clearly visible on the bow, both in English and Japanese. We went into the holds where there were torpedoes.

Interesting that Crockery Markings are stamped in "English"


Short video clip of Glynis diving The Kensho Maru

Diving in Truk Lagoon - Wrecks


I have missed a few weeks since my last blog input...... Oops !

Time to add a few pics ....

September , we completed our Padi Wreck Diver qualification. This we did on the EX- HMAS Adelaide. So we're qualified wreck divers, yet another specialty to our lengthy list of diving qualifications. Next, we would like to complete the video course.

We then took off on the dive trip to Truk lagoon, Micronesia.

We flew Sydney/Cairns/Guam/Truk & return the same....

Although we stayed 5 nights in Guam at the Hilton for a chill. And Chill it was. Really lovely place.

The Diving was awesome in Truk. Diving on the sumptuous Liveaboard - The Odyssey, was exceptional. High quality all round.

The wreck diving was awesome........

The list of ships we dived on are :

* Kiyosumi Maru (450' freighter)
* Yamagiri Maru (436.5' passenger cargo)
* Fumitzuki (330' destroyer)
* Shinkoku Maru (550' fleet oiler)
* Unkai Maru (305' freighter)
* Rio de Janeiro Maru (450' passenger transport and submarine tender)
* Sankisan Maru (367.5' passenger transport)
* Heian Maru (510' submarine tender)
* Betty Bomber (66' G4M Bomber)
* Kensho Maru (380' cargo ship)


Most of them are Gravesites with human remains on most of them....







      The Odyssey dive deck









                 The Betty Bomber

Location: Near Ettea, Chuuk Lagoon

Description: Mitsubishi G4M bomber

Length: 20 metres (65 feet)

Depth: Max depth 15 metres (50 feet)

The Betty Bomber is upright but it is pretty smashed up. The nose is very broken and the engines are a good 50m swim off the starboard front side where they broke away from the plane and travelled forward. The fuselage was full of glassfish and there was lovely soft corals on the wings.

Fujikawa Maru

Location: Near Etten, Chuuk Lagoon

Description: 6,983 ton 6-hold freighter

Length: 132 metres (433 feet)

Depth: Max depth 34 metres (112 feet), 18 metres (60 feet) to deck, 9 metres (30 feet) to top of wreck

The Fujikawa Maru is a very intact, upright wreck. The ship was mainly used to transport aircraft. In Hold 1 we found aircraft propeller blades and wings.In Hold 2, which is in front of the superstructure, there are three Zeros without engines.


Fujikawa Maru Bow Telegraph
At the Bow there is a 6-inch bow gun which was taken from an old cruiser.
The Skull (pictured) gave us a sombre reminder of lives lost.