Eight Days in Chuuk - Day Five

Weather was a bit wet and windy again today and I also felt a little weary in the morning as we got up and had bacon and omelette for breakfast. Soon off for first dive at 8am…

Chances on the line

Dive 13 – Nippo Maru – 3,764 Cargo ship and Naval water carrier. Split into two groups for this deeper dive. Buster off with the Chances and Nick and I were with Tomo. As we dropped down on the frame and then into the hold area, I was too busy taking photos to see that Nick was trying to clock 45m on his computer - he didn’t quite make it! [ 44.85m, grrrr - NK] Along the deck, we passed guns and then went into the bridge where all the steering equipment was still intact. Around the bow and then watching schools of fish in the blue bait balling around as we ascended away from the shot line as the other group were there.

Bye Woody!

Had to say goodbye to Woody as he was taken back to Weno between dives, so late start to…

Dive 14 – Yamagiri Maru – 6,438 ton passenger cargo ship on its port side. Caitlin sitting this one out so only three as we started out. However, Nick found he couldn’t clear his ears at 6m so had to abort the dive and he returned to the tender [NK: ears and nose were fine, but exquisite toothache in top teeth on one side - sinuses, I guess]. So I continued with Colin and Tomo. Descended and along the boat then went in through the torpedo hole and through the ship and out on the top deck. Then to the engine room where Tomo pointed out the skull of one of the engineers from the boat. It was fused to the superstructure. It was quite dark and cramped in there, which was almost too much for Colin on his first wreck penetration dive. Then out and around the stern and the props and back over the top of the boat and ascended for safety stops.

Back on board Thorfinn for lunch and quick change around for…

Dive 15 – Sankisan Maru – 4,776 ton cargo ship lying upright but in two parts. There were all four of us with Tomo on this dive. Looking in and out of holds including one with piles and piles of small glass bottles in different colours. Also looking at aircraft engine parts and lots of armaments including thousands of bullets. Up to bow then we dropped behind the group and taking lots of pictures eventually making out way up the mast for safety stops while looking at a school of fish hanging out with a Napoleon wrasse.

There was a little more time between dives to sit around and catch up on the logbook but Nick wasn’t feeling too good so decided to sit the next dive…

Dive No 16 – Hoyo Maru – 8,691-ton naval tanker. Just Colin and me with Tomo on this dive. Called the “ghost ship of Truk Lagoon” – as one of the American pilots who bombed the boat during WWII actually died while diving the ship many years later. Spooky story but no strange observations among the hard corals on the underside of the ship, which is lying mostly, upturned. We were able to see inside the engine room as it was exposed by bomb holes in the hull.

Back to shower and change for dinner of spicy soup and chicken and to hear the full ghost story from Captain Lance at the dinner table, before another quiet evening in the lounge.