Rodale’s Scuba Diving

MICRONESIA:

MACRO DIVING FUN

Made up of more than 2,300 islands in the North Pacific between Hawaii and the Philippines, the land area of Micronesia is so small compared to the vast seas that many less detailed world maps don’t even include dots for any of them. But, as Lonely Planet’s excellent Micronesia guidebook states, “What Micronesia lacks in land it makes up for in water.” With some of the world’s finest diving awaiting those who make the worthwhile trek, Micronesia is a diving Mecca of macro proportions..

The diving conditions simply couldn’t be better. The water temperature is typically around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the air temperature generally stays in the 70s and 80s year-round, and the visibility is typically excellent. Because of the location in the Pacific, Micronesia has an incredible abundance of varied marine life, with a wide range of fish, hard and soft corals, sponges, sea turtles, manta rays, whales, sharks, giant tridacna clams, sea cucumbers, and many other things of interest to divers (including the wrecks of Truk Lagoon--see below).

Incredible diversity awaits the dive traveler above and below the surface, with a tropical island lifestyle and geography, lots of history and culture, as little or as many amenities as desired, and all services for divers. Once a diver makes it there one time, he or she is likely to return often (either to the same island or a different and equally interesting one). Along with Lonely Planet’s overall guide, they also offer individual diving and snorkeling guides for Palau, Yap (& Guam), and Truk (Chuuk) Lagoon. Divers visiting Micronesia evidently swear by these books for use above and below the surface (though they’re not waterproof!).

Micronesia’s islands are scattered over millions of square miles of the western Pacific, but are generally divided into four archipelagoes: the Marshall, Caroline, Mariana, and Gilbert islands. The entire population barely exceeds a half-million! Tourism and diving destinations include Palau, Yap, Truk Lagoon, , the Marianas, Guam, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and the Marshall Islands, with the most popular dive spots being Palau, Yap, and Truk Lagoon, which are explored in detail below (as is the popular option of live-aboard diving).

Yapping About Yap

Divers who return from Yap simply can’t stop ‘yapping’ about the diving, the culture, and the people. On Yap they use giant stone money, the men often wear loincloths, the women wear grass skirts, and the diving is definitely something that will keep you yapping for months after your return home.

Situated about 500 miles southwest of Guam, Yap Proper is actually made up of four islands and the rest of Yap consists of lots of little islands spread throughout the region. Yap Island is the main base for divers. The current population of Yap is about 12,000, with around 2/3 living in Yap Proper. The people are proud of their heritage (and their diving) and love sharing it with visitors who show a genuine interest.

Yap’s diving has become world-famous, thanks to an incredible reef system containing lots of coral, excellent wall diving, caves, pelagics, and some lesser-known wrecks that are just now drawing diver interest in numbers. It’s also a huge draw because of the giant manta rays that crowd the water from December to February (a visit to Manta Ridge in Mill Channel is worth the trip to Yap). In summer, they can be found elsewhere around Yap in smaller numbers. These huge creatures that can boast wing spans up to 20 feet are truly a macro Micronesia sight.

Palau, As in Wow

Part of the western Carolina Islands, Palau is the westernmost part of Micronesia, with more than 300 islands. The capital city of Koror is the typical starting point, with many dive operators and resort facilities. Koror is located in the Rock Islands, which provide perfect diving and more than 200 islands all inside a single barrier reef.

The Rock Islands are one of the gems of Micronesia diving, with knobs of limestone jutting out of the waters southwest of Koror for about 20 miles. The area marks the meeting place of three distinct ocean currents, all bringing their own food supplies and marine life. This means there are more than 1,500 varieties of reef and pelagic fish and roughly four times the number of species of coral found in the Caribbean.

Some of the many diving highlights in the Rock Islands of Palau have to include: Blue Corner, a popular Palau dive for good reason, with lots of fish brought in by the strong tides and currents; Ngemelis Wall, one of the best wall dives in the world and featuring a drop-off to 1,000 feet, huge sea fans, and massive black coral; German Channel, with an ocean floor full of hard corals and, typically, many rays; and other possibilities like Devil Fish City, Turtle Cove, and Jellyfish Lake, one of more than 40 inland marine lakes that can make for unusual diving.

Also part of Palau, other even more remote diving possibilities include Peleliu, Angaur, and Kayaangel. In addition, for all of Palau, live-aboards also offer a great way to go.

Truk Lagoon

Now officially called Chuuk, but still referred to as Truk, this Micronesia diving Mecca is by far best known for the sunken wrecks of Truk Lagoon. Representing the largest loss in naval history, an entire Japanese fleet rests on the floor of the lagoon, literally frozen in time back to when they were sunk in 1944. It’s now an underwater historical park, so you can’t visit without a guide and you can’t take any souvenirs. If you want the wreck diving experience of a lifetime, then you must go to Truk Lagoon.

In all, Truk Lagoon holds about 60 ships or so, along with airplanes and other wreckage. Weno Island serves as the base for most divers, in that the resorts and dive shops are located there (as with the rest of Micronesia, live-aboards are also a popular option here). Popular dives include: the Heian Maru, which, at 535 feet, is the largest wreck in Truk Lagoon; the Sankistan Maru, a favorite of photographers; Fujikawa Maru, an aircraft ferry; and many, many more wrecks that make up this underwater museum for dive shops or live-aboards to help visitors explore.

Thus, with Yap, Palau, and Truk Lagoon as the main destinations, Micronesia offers macro dive travel experiences to the max!

MAKE CONTACT WITH MICRONESIA DIVING

Yap Visitor Bureau: 011-691-350-2298; www.visityap.org

Palau Visitor’s Authority: 011-680-488-2793; www.visit-palau.com