We recently dived in Truk Lagoon. It’s a bit of a mission getting there. All flights are via Guam, where you can’t be in transit….. you have to clear customs in and out on any connecting flight. So needles to say many connecting flights are missed due to the beaurocraticaly caused delays.

However, Truk or Chook, as it is also called, is heaven for wreck diving. There are wrecks for all levels of dive competency. The wreck depths vary from on the surface to more than 60m deep.

We stayed at the Blue Lagoon Resort, which was very good. The dive shop at the resort is also very well equipped an well run. A great setup.

Our first dive was on the Heian Maru. A great wreck to wet your appetite for the rest.

The 155m, 4,862 ton Heian Maru was a luxury passenger liner-cargo ship.  On her maiden voyage in 1931 she set a world trans pacific speed record. She was later used as a submarine tender by the Japanese 6th fleet.

The Heian is the largest wreck in Chook Lagoon and was made famous by Jacques Causteau in a TV show in 1970.

She was sunk during the WW2 in “Operation Hailstone” in February 17-18, 1944.

She lies on her port side between 12m and 36m depth. In the holds are torpedoes, periscopes and timber supplies. The huge prop of the ship is still in tact and covered with coral like most of the ship.