Why is Truk Lagoon of Interest to Divers?

Truk Lagoon is of particular interest to divers as it is the final resting place for over 300 planes, submarines and ships. As a result Truk Lagoon is one of the best regions for wreck diving on Earth.

The History of Truk Lagoon

In WWII, Truk Lagoon was used by the Japanese as a base for a formidable naval fleet. The geography and geology of Truk Lagoon made it an ideal place to anchor such a fleet but of course its use drew attention from the U.S. military.

On 17th February 1944, the U.S. Navy mounted a surprise 3-day attack against the Japanese ships anchored at Truk lagoon. Around 400 tons of and torpedoes and bombs were used over the course of the attack, which resulted in the sinking of around 60 ships, from minesweepers and tugs to full blown battleships. The ships anchored at Truk Lagoon also counted aircraft carriers, so also as a result of Operation Hailstone over 250 Japanese planes were sent to the depths. The human cost too was great: some estimates state that around 2,000 Japanese troops met their deaths at Truk Lagoon during the attacks.

Truk Lagoon Today

The wrecks at Truk Lagoon have remained untouched for the most part since February 1944. As a result (and combined with clear waters and good accessibility), Truk Lagoon’s wrecks offer divers unique opportunities to visit a beautiful if rather sombre underwater landscape. For the most part, diving at Truk Lagoon will give you high visibility, current free dives where you can see very well preserved wrecks encrusted with brightly colored soft corals, sea fans, anemones and sponges. Divers at Truk Lagoon will also likely encounter large numbers of batfish, jacks, grouper and tuna as well as numerous species of shark such as black tips, white tips, grey reef sharks, leopard sharks hammerheads and whale sharks.

Diving at Truk Lagoon

It should always be remembered that this is the final resting place for many Japanese troops and so it is that many wrecks are home to the skeletons of some of those who perished. Truk Lagoon is really an underwater museum and should be treated as such. Consequently, divers are prohibited by Micronesian law from removing anything (artifacts or marine life) from Truk Lagoon and harsh penalties are meted out for trangressors.

If you wish to dive at Truk Lagoon you will need a “Chuuk Dive Permit”, which will likely be acquired for you by your dive operator. Diving equipment too can be hired locally if required.

Non-divers too have the chance to visit some of the wrecks which lie in shallower waters: some of Truk’s wrecks provide excellent snorkelling opportunities.

Truk Lagoon Diving Summary

Truk Lagoon has plenty to offer wreck diving experts and first timers alike.

Many of the wrecks are accessible for recreational divers (although there are several good wrecks located beyond the 30 meter mark for those divers that are trained to dive beyond recommended recreational diver limits).

Truk Lagoon has to be the single best location for wreck diving in the world due to the sheer number of wrecks in relative proximity, their state of preservation, the marine life they attract and the clarity and stillness of the lagoon’s water.

Truk Lagoon is one of THE places that all divers should strive to visit in their lifetime.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Tulamben is a very small town that has no great claim to fame other than the fact that a US Army ship called Liberty was passing near it across the Lombok Strait on 11th January 1942.

The Liberty was transporting materials for the U.S. war effort when she was attacked by a Japanese submarine named I-166. The I-166 torpedoed the Liberty damaging it severely, but fortunately injuring none of the crew.

Although the Liberty was salvagable, an attempt to tow her to the port at Singaraja proved impossible as she was taking in too much water from the damage to her hull. The US Army beached the Liberty at Tulamben and her cargo was duly unloaded. The Liberty remained at the shore of Tulamben for almost 21 years.

In 1963, Bali’s sacred Mount Agung (an active volcano) erupted. Agung is a prominent feature of Bali’s landscape but Tulamben is literally dominated by it. Mount Agung’s eruption created a series of tremors that sent the Liberty rolling off the beach into the sea. The Liberty has not moved since; broken at the bow and stern she now rests on a sandy slope facing out towards the Lombok Strait.

Tulamben: Diving the Liberty Wreck

The Liberty wreck dive at Tulamben is one of the best diving spots in Bali. It is highly popular for a number of reasons:

• Reaching the Liberty wreck is simple as it is situated around 25 meters (80 feet) from the shore at Tulamben.
• Open water divers certified to dive up to 18 meters can view a good deal of the wreck: the Liberty rests at 9 meters (30 feet) at the shallowest point, 30 meters (100 feet) at the deepest and tops out around the 5 meter mark.
• It is a fairly easy dive with little current.
• Very good visibility.
• It is a site that can also be snorkelled easily.
• The Tulamben wreck is teeming with marine life.

The Liberty Wreck and the Tulamben Diving Experience

Diving Tulamben’s Liberty wreck is a fantastic experience for anyone who wants to encounter any kind of marine life. Firstly, the Liberty is covered in soft and hard corals, gorgonians and anemones. She attracts a veritable horde of fish… practically every type of Indo-Pacific variety you could care to imagine, such as:

• Pipefish
• Angelfish
• Gobies
• Nudibranchs
• Trevally
• Butterflyfish
• Batfish
• Sweetlips
• Bream
• Anthias
• Fusiliers
• Napolean Wrasse
• Parrotfish
• Barracuda
• Lionfish
• Hawkfish
• and many, many others!

Tulamben diving offers you the chance to see enormous schools of some species (especially the trevally and fusiliers etc.). The Liberty wreck also offers an ideal night dive experience due to minimal current, good visibility… oh and did we mention the marine life? Night dives will show you the night shift crew of the Liberty, such as flashlight fish, spanish dancers and ghostly hovering scorpionfish.

Summary Review of Tulamben and the Liberty Wreck Dive

Anyone who has dived at Tulamben will tell you what a great dive the Liberty wreck offers any certified recreational diver.

It is a safe, enjoyable wreck dive, with good visibility and a dead-cert guarantee to see a wide variety of underwater life in large numbers.

The Liberty wreck at Tulamben is not to be missed if you visit Bali.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Yongala sank as a result of its encounter with a cyclone as it was travelling from Melbourne to Cairns in March 1911 and resulted in the deaths of its 122 passengers and crew.

Although the S.S. Yongala’s demise occurred in 1911, its actual wherebouts remained a mystery until it was discovered by accident at its resting place off Townsville in 1958. The story of the Yongala is perhaps the biggest catastrophe in Australia’s maritime history.

Since 1958 however, the S.S. Yongala has become an extremely important marine ecosystem and a highly popular location for recreational scuba diving.

Where Exactly Does the Yongala Lie?

The Yongala lies approximately 0.8 hectares within a 500m radius at 19°18′27″S 147°37′31″E / -19.3075, 147.62528. It is around 48 miles east of the Townsville coast and 22 miles north-east of Ayr in the Coral Sea within the zone of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The Yongala is a Heritage Site as listed by the Queensland National Estate. Divers are strictly forbidden from entering the Yongala as CO2 bubbles left inside the wreck could contribute to its deterioration.

The S.S. Yongala: A Good Dive Location?

Undoubtedly.

The SS Yongala is one the best wreck dives in the world but many divers actually consider the Yongala to be THE best dive spot bar none!

The Yongala rests in approximately 30 meters of water on a flat, sandy bottom. There is nothing else around the SS Yongala for literally miles, and as the ship is 110 meters in length she is not difficult to spot when you are in the underwater vicinity.

The SS Yongala Experience

Visibility is generally very good and the wreck of the SS Yongala itself is impressive to say the least. The hull is in good condition but you can also clearly see the rudder, masts, engine room, toilets, port holes and most of the ship’s name is also apparent.

The Yongala is literally encrusted with highly colorful hard and soft coral. You will also see abundant hydroids and sea fans swaying gently in the sea breeze. As such the Yongala appears like an oasis in a sandy desert and as a result it attracts an enormous array of marine life. On any dive there you will likely see some, or maybe even all, of the following on a good day:

• Barracuda
• Many varieties of ray
• Sharks
• Turtles
• Giant gropers
• Giant sized wrasse
• Sea snakes
• and much, much more!

Diving Trips to the Yongala

You should be able to find many operators in Townsville offering dive trips to the Yongala. Be well aware though that tides and currents can make the Yongala a relatively difficult dive so it is important to choose the right time to dive.

You also need to be aware that the Yongala is a very popular diving location (around 10,000 divers vist her annually) and so you will likely not be there on your own.

Also due to varying conditions dives to the Yongala can be cancelled at short notice: high winds or strong currents particularly affect Yongala dives as she is relatively exposed, having no protection from reef etc. However, given the right conditions diving at the site of the SS Yongala could just about be one of the best diving experiences of your life.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars