Scuba Season
Underwater reef at Chuuk Lagoon
Stable

Chuuk Lagoon

Federated States of Micronesia · Chuuk

Chuuk Lagoon (Truk) holds the largest concentration of WWII shipwrecks on Earth — 60+ Japanese vessels and aircraft sunk in Operation Hailstone in 1944, now coral encrusted and intact. It's the world's premier recreational wreck destination.

How this reef is doing

ⓘ How we measure this

Reef state

Stable

WWII Japanese fleet with extensive coral growth on the wrecks. Lagoon conditions remain stable.

Coral cover

35%
LowHealthy
Moderate

Fish life

Not surveyed

Heat

SafeBleaching

No unusual heat right now.

Safe now

Fishing

QuietBusy

Some fishing is allowed here, in marked zones.

Limited

Sources · Reef survey · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity

Coral cover over time

Live coral cover, by survey year

Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 37% to 35%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.

Live coral cover, percent by year

40%0%region avg 31%20142024
Two surveys
Pacific average (GCRMN)
Reef survey

What you will see

9 species across the dive sites here

Dive sites

What divers say

Swimming through the engine room of the Fujikawa Maru is like time travel with a regulator in your mouth.
— Wreck diver

Good to know

Respect the war graves

Many wrecks contain human remains. No artifact removal.

Gear & getting wet

  • Basic kit

    • Mask and fins
    • BCD and regulator
    • 3mm shorty or dive skin · warm water
    • Dive computer

  • For specific sites

    • Dive light · Fujikawa Maru
    • Computer · Fujikawa Maru