2021 CHUUK - Wild Earth Expeditions
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2021 CHUUK
CHUUK
GHOST FLEET OF TRUK LAGOON
11 – 20 APR 2021 ● 10 DAYS ● 13 GUESTS – Scuba Divers Only
Dive into World War II history and explore the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon in Micronesia. Over 60 of
the worlds’ most pristine wrecks are scattered in the protected inner lagoon, the legacy of a fierce
WWII battle between the Imperial Japanese naval fleet and Allied Carrier planes. Ranging from
supply vessels, planes to submarines, these pristine wrecks are all tightly packed into a beautiful
shallow coral reef lagoon and are host to numerous artefacts and an oasis for coral and fish life.
When not diving this underwater museum, explore the colorful reefs and drop-offs filled with tropical
reef fish, sharks, turtles and dolphins. With clear warm tropical waters, vivid and prolific marine life,
this expedition promises to be a unique adventure that should be on every scuba divers ‘Bucket list’.
During World War II, Truk Lagoon (now Chuuk Atoll) in the Caroline Islands, was Japan’s main base
and a staging point for attacks on the Allied forces. The whole lagoon was a heavily fortified base for
Japanese naval operations against Allied forces in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, serving
as the forward anchorage for the Japanese Imperial Fleet. February 1944, Truk was devastated in
one of the most important naval attacks of the war during “Operation Hailstone”, which resulted in
the loss of many lives and 61 war ships, representing the single largest naval loss in history. The
result of this attack is a collection of some of the world’s most pristine shipwrecks closely packed
into a coral lagoon, a diver’s playground.
Resting at the bottom of the shallow lagoon for more than 70 years, the wrecks are littered with
anemones, colorful reef fish, nudibranchs, moray eels and juvenile fish using the wrecks as shelter.
Sharks patrol the waters of Chuuk Lagoon and you are likely to encounter them whilst enjoying the
wreck dives. On the outer reefs, sharks are even more plentiful with many sightings of whitetip,
blacktip and grey reef sharks. Other pelagic fish like trevally, barracuda and tuna also frequent the
reefs and wrecks. Covered in rainbow-colored sponges, soft and hard coral the ships are still largely
intact, and you can clearly see telegraph poles, steering columns and mounted guns. Penetrate
wrecks and discover torpedoes, engine rooms, zero airplanes , artillery guns and even tanks, trucks
and ammunition. Superb coral reefs, steep walls busy with pelagic marine life surround the lagoon
protecting the wrecks from strong currents.
Combine this exciting trip with our Palau 01 Expedition for the Ultimate Micronesian dive
adventure!
HIGHLIGHTS
• World-class wreck diving.
• Explore ship, plane and submarine wrecks covered in coral and fish life.
• Sail on a privately chartered yacht on crystal clear waters, surrounded by tropical islands.
• Dive coral gardens, channels and steep drop-offs teeming with fish and sharks.
• Enjoy WWII history and marine lectures from our WWII expert and Marine Biologist.
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ITINERARY OVERVIEW
CHUUK
GHOST FLEET OF TRUK LAGOON
11 – 20 APR 2021 ● 10 DAYS ● 13 GUESTS – Scuba Divers Only
Day 01 | Apr 11 Depart Home / En route to Chuuk
Day 02 | Apr 12 Embark MV Truk Master
Day 03 - 08 | Apr 13-18 Dive the WWII Wrecks and reefs of Truk Lagoon
Day 09 | Apr 19 Disembark / Land tour / Fly home or continue to Palau
Day 10 | Apr 20 Arrive home
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ITINERARY
GHOST FLEET OF TRUK LAGOON
11 – 20 APR 2021 ● 10 DAYS ● 13 GUESTS – Scuba Divers Only
Day 01. Apr 11, 2021. Depart Home / En route to Chuuk via Guam
Depart your home and journey to Chuuk, arriving into Chuuk international airport on Weno Island.
We highly recommend arriving at least a day before the expedition departure, so you can acclimatize,
are well rested and most importantly, don’t miss the trip. We can assist you with making a booking
for additional hotel nights at the Truk Blue Lagoon Resort which is located on Weno Island and close
to the embarkation point for the MV Truk Master.
Day 02. Apr 12, 2021. Embark on MV Truk Master
On arrival at Chuuk international airport on Weno you will be collected and taken to the Blue Lagoon
Resort for lunch before embarking the MV Truk Master late afternoon. After an introductory briefing
enjoy a sunset cocktail and a special welcome dinner before you set sail to explore one of the world’s
largest underwater museum’s and the incredible marine life surrounding it.
Overnight: MV Truk Master (L, D)
Day 03-08. Apr 13-18, 2021. Explore the Wrecks, Reefs and Pelagic Action
Spend the next week exploring the Ghost fleet and marine marvels of Truk Lagoon. With vibrant
reefs teeming with colourful soft corals, anemones, and steep walls busy with pelagic marine life.
Blacktip, whitetip and grey reef sharks, rays, eels, clownfish, schooling barracuda and jacks and an
abundance of macro life, with common dolphins often making an appearance in the crystal-clear
tropical waters of this tropical island paradise.
Examples of some of the wrecks and sites that you may be exploring:
FUJIKAWA MARU A signature dive of Truk Lagoon, this 132m (436ft) armed cargo ship sits
perfectly upright on the sandy bottom at a depth of 37m (121ft) whilst the forward king post reaches
up to 5m (15ft). The “Fuji” offers 6 holds, in which parts of Zero Fighter Aircraft including engine
parts, propeller blades and fuel cells can be found. Deeper inside the wreck, Mitsubishi A5m Claude
& A6m parts can be discovered. The bow gun is encrusted with corals and the outer wreck supports
sea fans, soft corals and anemones.
FUMITSUKI A 97m (300ft) long Japanese Destroyer. She sits upright in 30m (128ft) of water rising
up to 27m (89ft). Covered in marine life she is a pleasure to dive.
SUBMARINE l.169 Quickly submerging during the attack to avoid damage, the submarine
unfortunately failed to close her valves, allowing water to enter and as she descended, she came to
rest on her port side at a depth of 42m (138ft).
YAMIGARI MARU Resting on her port side, though almost completely intact despite repeated
bombings, the Yamigari freighter still contains many artillery shells and ammunition.
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SHINKOKU MARU A large oil tanker now resting upright on the bottom encrusted with corals, sponges and hydroids. Highlights include the telegraph room on the bridge, a spacious engine room and a galley that still features many utensils on the large stove. Small guns mounted fore and aft are also covered with corals making this one of the most colorful and spectacular wrecks to be found in Truk Lagoon. NIPPO MARU With a depth range of 21m – 47m (69ft-154ft) the Nippo is an intriguing dive site. With a tank and howitzer guns on deck, and 5-inch guns in the holds, the Nippo is not to be missed. HEIAN MARU The largest ship in the lagoon, the Heian, originally used as a cargo ship, is 165m (510ft) in length and lies on her port side in 35m (115ft) of water. Within her holds, divers can find torpedoes, shells and even the occasional periscope. GOSEI MARU A submarine tender carrying torpedoes starts in just 3m (10ft) and drops to 35m (115ft) within which can be found many personal artefacts, serving as a reminder of those who lost their lives during the battle. RIO DE JANERIO MARU 140m (430ft) long she lays on her port side in 35m (115ft). Once a luxury passenger vessel she was converted to a cargo vessel in wartime. Exploration of her holds turns up a range of suppliers from beer bottles to guns. The upper deck reaches to an easy diveable depth of 9m (30ft). BETTY BOMBER A Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” Bomber aircraft lies on the seabed at 18m (60ft) and is surrounded by schooling fish. Nicknamed: “The Flying Cigar” for its shape but also because the aircraft lit up when shot, as the fuel tanks were unprotected. Overnight: MV Truk Master (B, L, D) Day 09. Apr 19, 2021. Disembark / Fly Home / Palau Expedition After a final breakfast onboard, bid farewell to the crew and disembark the ship to explore some of the sites on Weno Island on a guided tour through the capital of Chuuk Atoll. See the fortified caves and tunnels that were used to house munitions and stores, a Japanese built lighthouse with incredible views of the northeast passage, and former communications center which has now been converted into a high school. Visit a men’s meeting house dating back to the early days of Truk’s history before taking the short trip to the airport for your flights home or on to Koror for your Palau Expedition. Meals: B Day 10. Apr 20, 2021. Arrive Home WWW.WILDEARTHEXPEDITIONS.COM 5 INFO@WILDEARTHEXPEDITIONS.COM
MV TRUK MASTER
‘Astral Star’, a long-range cruiser built by Codecasa and designed by Camper Nicholson, has joined
the Master Liveaboards brand and has undergone a full refit prior to her re-launch as ‘Truk Master’.
Built of steel, the MV Truk Master is the newest live-aboard yacht to ply the waters of this lagoon.
All cabins have en-suites and individual air conditioning units. Communal relaxation areas comprise
of a spacious indoor dining area, camera set up station with guest storage drawers, lounge bar with
comfortable bench seating and plasma screen, a shaded outdoor seating area and sundeck. All
guests are allocated an individual set-up station on the dive deck, with under-bench storage for
masks, fins and other personal items. A central camera table can be used to store prepared
equipment ahead of the dive, with dedicated rinse tanks provided. Divers can take advantage of the
on-deck shower to rinse off between dives. The Captain welcomes you to join him in the fly-bridge,
from where you can soak up the stunning views of the islands of Truk Lagoon.
CLI CK T O VI EW I M A G ES ON LI N E
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COST & INFO
CHUUK
THE GHOST FLEET OF TRUK LAGOON
11 – 20 APR 2021 ● 10 DAYS ● 13 GUESTS
Double Occupancy: USD $5,980 per person sharing
Single Supplement Surcharge: USD $3,890 per person
⏤ •⚬• ⏤
ULTIMATE COMBINATION SAVINGS
• Book 2 expeditions and receive a $500 per person savings
• Book 3 expeditions and receive a $750 per person savings
Chuuk can be combined with 2021 Palau 01 and 2021 Philippines
INCLUDED
All accommodations in twin/double share rooms as outlined in the itinerary; Exclusive MV Truk
Master charter (unless less than 12 guests). All group meals; Welcome and farewell cocktail
receptions; Soft drinks, drinking water, tea and regular filter coffee onboard the MV Truk Master; All
group transfers and baggage handling; All tours, excursions and diving as outlined in the itinerary;
Exclusive services of English speaking professional guides and naturalists; Services of 2 Wild Earth
Expedition Leaders (including Expedition Leader/Dive Guide and WWII Historian/Marine Biologist);
All gratuities to porters, guides, drivers, dive crew, ship-, and wait staff; Government- Service- and
Room taxes; All permits, Harbor fees, Entrance and Marine park fees (currently $200);
Complimentary slideshow; Recaps and Lectures by marine biologist and WWII historian; Dive
tanks/weights for Scuba divers. Donation to reef conservation project.
NOT INCLUDED
All international and domestic airfares; Any airport arrival and departure taxes; Passport and visa
fees; Immunization costs; Meals outside group travel itinerary; Mandatory Travel insurance
(including medical, medical evacuation and accident); Excess baggage charges; Personal items,
such as laundry, any alcoholic beverages or bar charges (unless specified above), WiFi, telephone
calls; Tips for your 2 Wild Earth Leaders and any non-group services; Nitrox air fills and dive gear
rental.
Any sudden increase in price, due to currency fluctuations, a steep hike in fuel cost, change in
government tax policy or for any reason beyond our control, will be adjusted with the final invoice
due 4 months prior to the expedition.
SINGLE OCCUPANCY
We only have 2 single spaces available on this expedition and single occupancy rates apply. If you
are wanting to share accommodations, a roommate will be assigned to you and double occupancy
rates apply. If we cannot pair you with a roommate, the single supplement surcharge applies.
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This expedition is only suitable for Scuba Divers (not snorkelers). All Wild Earth Expeditions are
very active, and participants need to be in good general health. For most activities a good level of
fitness is required. This expedition is active and will include scuba diving, penetrating wrecks and
diving coral reefs where currents may be present; climbing in and out of boats and other physical
activities. A deep diving qualification to 40 meters (120ft) is recommended. All divers must be
advanced diver certified with over 60 logged dives. As with all Wild Earth Expeditions it is
recommended that you have dived within a year preceding the trip departure date, to ensure that
you are comfortable and confident in the water. Accommodations we have chosen onboard the
comfortable MV Truk Master include a/c, hot water and en-suite bathroom facilities. Your expedition
will be led by 2 Wild Earth Expeditions leaders, including a Wild Earth Expedition Leader/Dive Master
and a WWII Historian/Marine Biologist and the best, most experienced local guides.
Detailed Pre-departure information will be sent to you 4-5 months prior to the expedition.
*Please note that if the guest number drops below 12 guests, we may share the ship with other
guests (not Wild Earth Explorers).
ITINERARY
Wild Earth Expeditions will make every reasonable effort to operate the expedition as advertised,
but alterations may occur, usually due to tides, weather or flight schedule changes. We will discuss
our planned itinerary daily with our local expert guides and will always choose the best available
option. Accommodations and arranged tours are subject to change or cancellation at any time due
to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond Wild Earth Expeditions control. Please note
that 2021 flight schedules will only be released 11 months prior to the end of the expedition.
Although we have reported honestly and accurately about our sightings and experiences, we would
like to point out that we are working in the wilderness and despite all our good intentions and utmost
preparation, Mother Nature may not cooperate with us at times.
PHOTO CREDIT © Thomas & Natalia Baechtold, WWDAS, Ron Leidich & Adobe Stock
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