Take a trip through Micronesia's most spectacular destinations. New for 2024, this book has been updated with the latest info, new images and new dive sites. It takes you to the best wreck diving destination in the world: Truk Lagoon. This book also has the drop-offs, passes and atolls of amazing Pohnpei and the hard coral sites of lush Kosrae Island. Located in the north central Pacific, Chuuk is a state in the Federated States of Micronesia. Wreck divers call it Truk Lagoon and it is the site of the famous WWII air raid Operation Hailstone. This battle lasted three days and sunk dozens of Japanese ships in the waters of the vast inner lagoon. Today, they are "shipreefs," historic wrecks adorned in corals and full of marine life. For history lovers or reef divers, these amazing dives have the potential to overload the senses and exhaust the superlatives of every diver and snorkeler visiting them.
East of Truk are the islands of Pohnpei and Kosrae, full of beauty and mystery above the sea and featuring little-dived reefs below the ocean. Pohnpei has a mysterious ancient city called Nan Madol, many waterfalls, high mountains and a huge barrier reef. Two atolls also lie offshore. Pohnpei diving is famous for mantas, sharks and beautiful corals. Kosrae is also a legendary natural wonder and it too has a mysterious set of ruins. With very little coastal development to spoil the extremely healthy hard coral reefs, it is nature at its wild best. Kosrae has natural forests and a very special mangrove dive.
This guide gives you everything you need to plan a trip to these wonderful Micronesian destinations. There are over 120 full-color images and island maps. The author/photographer is internationally published marine photojournalist and Lonely Planet author Tim Rock, who has lived in Micronesia for four decades and first dived Truk Lagoon in 1982.