Micronesia had long been at the top of my list as a dive destination and with the flight south from Japan to the island of Guam, in the middle of the Pacific, I was about to realise my dream destination - as well as find some much needed heat after the wintery month spent in Japan.

Guam would only be the start and finish point of a month long Micronesia circuit calling at Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, Palau and Yap. I've added a map to this entry to help pinpoint just where we are talking about here (its not so easy to find on a map!)

The slight downside with the itinerary was that it would mean travelling on Christmas Day. But hey! I wasn't expecting a traditional 'White Christmas' here. At least there was a tree this year :-)

The Tree

The first stop, Chuuk Lagoon, holds the well deserved title of 'Wreck Diving Capital of The World'. With more than 50 Japanese wrecks from World War 2 (most largely intact) there is enough to keep you busy for weeks - although we would only be in Chuuk for 6 days and diving only 3.

The wrecks themselves have become fantastic artificial reefs, covered in Corals and Anenomes. A perfect hideaway for marine life. For sure the outside is incredible to behold, but things get REALLY interesting once you venture inside.

The wrecks still contain many artifacts of war including, machine guns, rifles, gas masks, binoculars, thousands of rounds of bullets, torpedoes, periscopes, trucks, armoured cars, general supplies and in one case a human skull and bones! This is definitely one of those entries where photos tell the story best, so here is the link:

COMPLETE CHUUK LAGOON PHOTO GALLERY (54 Photos)

I'll post up the Palau and Yap Entries very soon. I guess now i'll have to choose a new dive destination to top the list :-)