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

Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.

Warming

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