Clear skies and moderate seas greeted us as we woke to another beautiful day on the National Geographic Orion. Mike Greenfelder, our undersea specialist, opened the day with an intriguing presentation entitled “An Introduction to Tropical Reef Fish.” Mike talked about the complexity of coral reefs which are home to an impressive diversity of fish species.
Settling in for a cup coffee whilst reflecting on Mike’s presentation was quickly interrupted with the cries of “land ahoy” as our first sight of Chuuk Islands came into view. Technically the islands form part of an atoll, with a protective reef that encircles the lagoon that is home to 85 sand and coral islets.
With the pilot onboard we slowly entered the entrance of this massive lagoon that has a total area of 2,130 square kilometers (820 sq mi). Sadly today the lagoon is somewhat of an underwater graveyard with over 40 World War II relics lying peacefully on the lagoon seafloor. Once alongside in Moen and with the official formalities out of the way, it was time to explore this impressive lagoon. A plethora of options were available this afternoon from diving and snorkeling the Japanese wrecks to walking the grounds of the Blue Lagoon Resort.
Stepping into our now familiar rubber Zodiacs we headed off across the lagoon in search of World War II history. First stop was a Japanese Zero which was shot down in combat in 1944. It was lying upside down about a meter below and still in very good condition. Next stop was a Japanese cargo and troop transport ship which lay peacefully upright in about 2 meters of water. With time quickly slipping away we made the short run back to the ship where a hot chocolate and a big smile were awaiting us. What a way to finish our first day in beautiful Micronesia.
