Experiences

What lies beneath the surface

By: Neil Tinmouth August 2014 Having a family that is spread out over the world means that the opportunities to get together are few and far between. This led us to the creation of our combined bucket list odyssey; we meet up as frequently as possible, and together tick off the entries. What could be higher on a recreational divers list, than the opportunity to plunge into clear warm tropical waters and descend onto wrecks frozen in time? Add to this an abundance of corals and marine life that inhabit these artificial reefs and you have the perfect dive site.

We visited this dream destination, the spectacular lagoon of Chuuk, formally known as Truk Lagoon due to a mispronunciation. The South Pacific islands of Chuuk with their sheltered lagoon harboured the Japanese Combined Fleet during World War II. In 1944, Operation Hailstone, a U.S aerial assault sent more than 60 vessels and hundreds of aircraft to the floor of the lagoon.

Owing to the geography of the reefs and the number of ships harboured, they were all moored close to each other at the time of their destruction. These coral encrusted wrecks, the majority of which were of the Japanese imperial merchant fleet now lay silently in clear blue waters, and form the renowned ‘Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon’. The calm waters allowed us an unparalleled opportunity to explore the wide variety of wrecks. Unfortunately even their close proximity did not allow us to visit a fraction of them; this is where our local dive master’s knowledge paid dividends. Following our DM’s lead, we easily swam around super structures and upturned hulls, identifying telegraphs and guns that now stand silent. Decks were littered with the remnants of trucks, tanks and objects retrieved from the holds. Bowls, bottles, telephones mixed with guns and gas masks lay clustered together. The largely intact wrecks allow for penetration.

Below decks, in the holds were partially assembled aircraft, tanks, boxes of munitions, bulldozers, motorcycles, bicycles, torpedoes, spare parts, and not to mention the huge abundance of other artefacts. With a compulsion to explore, we carefully made our way around the superstructures entering galleys and bathrooms, all the while trying not to stir up the silt. From behind the camera, this unique underwater experience took on another dimension. Ambient light needed to be used strategically to enhance the captured images. Dark engine room penetrations presented their own unique challenges.

All the while, as I looked tactically at each subject, the measure of focus created an awareness of the anguish that the sailors must have felt as their world was torn apart. Each wreckage be it afreighter or the Betty bomber with its large shoal of glass fish had its own distinctive allure. Seventy years on, with storm damage, corrosion and coral growth taking their toll, the opportunities to experience a memorable moment in this underwater museum are running out. A tick done, just in time! Palau Collecting our gear together we island hopped over to Palau.

These islands were to offer us an incredibly diverse selection of ‘customary” diving experiences, but the primary reason for our visit was the opportunity to snorkel with the so called, Darwin jellyfish. After a short but gruelling walk we arrived at Jellyfish Lake, a marine lake situated on the island of Eil Malk. Donning fins, mask and snorkel we carefully entered the warm murky green stratified waters filled with golden and moon jellyfish. Around us masses of “sting less” jellyfish slowly propelled themselves through the water, gently bumping into us as they glided past.

Nature had once again put on a spectacular show for us to experience. After Jellyfish Lake, we were now ready to take on the world class dive sites of Palau. Armed with our reef hooks we took to the water. How can you top a drift dive along sheer walls, clothed in soft and hard corals, inhabited by an abundant variety of marine life and numerous turtles? Well, add inquisitive circling reef sharks slowly twisting and turning an arm’s length, and you have an opportunity for plenty of underwater photographs.

In one of our channel dives, we knelt glued to the seabed as giant mantas soared over us. Friendly Napoleon Wrasse’s intrigued by the camera housing accompanied us on many of our dives. They offered us up close and personal interaction time as well as some interesting photographs.

Dropping through the blue hole into the near perfect cave below, gave another dimension to diving. The chandelier caves provided a very different photography opportunity and once again challenges were present, not least the stalactites just above the surface. An unexpected bucket list tick came on our last day when we took a helicopter excursion.

This ride gave us the opportunity to take in the scale and incredible beauty of the islands. We picked out the different reefs and channels we had dived, which gave us a sense of order and direction. But back to our tick, from the air we saw a family of seven dugongs, swimming below us. The only word I can use is, Awesome! What a way to finish a holiday.