On this glassy morning we therefore decided to focus on the aft end of the wreck and after the short boat ride, we tied up to the mooring buoy and descended onto the mid-ship area. We first made our way to the stern and to the two large propellers and rudder which are at 160ft/50m.

I had already briefed the divers to keep an eye out for sharks and as we approached the sand we were welcomed by two medium sized grey reef sharks and a large black-tip reef shark who seemed very interested in one of our divers who was using a re-breather. They made several extremely close passes and continued their search for breakfast, meaning we could move on and inspect the area more closely.

After a good look around the props and rudder which is over 5m in height, we made our way round to the port hull and entered holds 1&2 through the large torpedo hole. With two levels of construction equipment such John Deere bulldozers, and Japanese trucks, steam rollers and tractors the remainder of the dive was taken up with photos and exploration.

It is amazing to think that this machinery has been down there so long but is still in such fantastic condition and seems still good enough o be put into action!

Once the divers were on 70bar/1000psi we left the holds and made our way back to the line where we were greeted by a large school of jacks circling in the current, and we ascended to our first stop at 60ft/18m.

From there until our 15ft/5m safety stops, a school of batfish came up and brought us great entertainment for the remaining decompression time.

Once everyone was back onto our dive tender Downrider 2, it was back to the Thorfinn for coffee and cookies fresh from the oven.

Usually 30 minutes is needed to fully explore this monstrous diesel engine room, powering twin screws with over 7,500 horsepower each, but with only 3 divers, penetration was made easier and after 25 minutes of weaving through the devastation, we were out and on our way to the stern and the propellers.

The holds of the Rio contain items such as artillery and china, but it is hard to overlook the infinite supply of Saki and wine that the Japanese military seemed to hold. After the holds we were heading for the stern and there it was, the 16ft/5m long stern gun mounted high, and covered in corals and sponges.

Further on we made our way to housing covering the stern and below the telegraph that seems to have been placed in an upright position and shell casing sitting next to it.

Once at the stern, ascending onto the starboard beam, we made our way back to the boat, making necessary stops on our way up, still able to see the outline of this truly enormous underwater shipwreck.

One of our main projects this year will be the running of our Pan Micronesia Tour which is starting to take shape. Recent booking/enquiry activity has obviously been extremely high with the Thorfinn being the only vessel in the Pacific making such trips around Micronesian outer islands. Our trip will run throughout June making the trip from Truk Lagoon, Chuuk through the outer islands of Yap and coming into Palau two weeks later. After any maintenance work and taking whatever rest is needed, a week later we will do it all again eventually finishing back home in Truk Lagoon at the end of the month. We expect plenty of pelagic encounters and coral reefs never dived on before so please email us on the ship to find out about our availability if adventure is something you enjoy.

Truk Lagoon has seen increasing numbers of pelagic species and interactions between them and divers have become regular occurrences in the last few months. Specific instances have been Manta Rays seen regularly on the Shinkoku Maru, Bottlenose Dolphins in various places throughout the lagoon and very excitingly, Bowmouth Guitar sharks resting on the sand next to the Fumitzuki Destroyer. Sharks have always been common sightings here in Truk Lagoon with extremely healthy numbers of white-tip, black-tip and grey reef sharks and others such as Leopard and Nurse sharks. On the outer reefs and walls, more pelagic species can be expected with Silvertips, Oceanic White-tips, and even sometimes Tiger Sharks are encountered.
With Technical diving and Re-breathers becoming increasingly popular, more and more guests have come to Thorfinn with technical requests. After spending the last months making deeper dives using mixed gases here in Truk Lagoon, it is my opinion that we should not focus on depth, but simply extending dive time on these wrecks. Conditions are very favorable for divers, especially for those wanting to explore beyond recreational limits. There is no concern of temperature with the water between 28-29oC year round, only very mild currents are ever experienced, and entries/exits are made simple by diving from custom dive tenders with rarely more than a light breeze.

Taking all of this into consideration we have specifically designed the ‘Truk Tek Unlimited’ package to cater better for mixed gas diving in this tropical paradise. It is truly a wreck divers dream to explore such spectacular WWII wrecks in such luxury and comfort, and by using simple technical procedures; divers can see the best of Truk Lagoon without spending a fortune! We will give people the option to do either 5, one hour dives a day or with a few interested divers, we would introduce a second boat giving guests the freedom to complete a reduced number of longer, deeper dives.

The ‘Truk Tek Unlimited’ package will include bonuses such as rental of one banded twin set with isolator manifolds, two 80 cubic feet cylinders for sidemount riggings or two (x1 Oxy & x1 Dil) AP Diving re-breather stages 2L or 3L. However, we believe the best part of the package is the inclusion of unlimited air fills and up to 50% off set Enriched Air Nitrox fills of 32%, 50%, 80% and 95%. Our two onboard oxygen generators powered by a Haskel booster, can even allow custom blends if numbers onboard permit.

Trimix is certainly not essential due to all wrecks being within air limits, however we keep supplies on board for those whole may require it and re-breathers wishing to enjoy lower PPO2’s and E.N.D’s. Also new for 2011 is the option to use either Sodasorb, which has been the best option in the past, but also Sofnalime 8-12 grain for those willing to spend a little extra. For full details on all of Thorfinn’s packages and options for Technical and Re-breather divers please see our ‘Bookings’ page or email us directly onboard at seaward@mail.fm.

Finally, here on the Thorfinn we will be making some changes to our website which will include a lot more information for divers but also people just interested in Truk Lagoon. I have already mentioned the Divemaster Logs and this monthly trip report but also keep an eye out for new wreck descriptions giving people a better idea of exactly what the dives are actually like here which will be complimented by our new wreck map painting a great picture of what we have to offer here in Truk. Please also keep an eye out for a new ‘Crew’ page will we feature pictures of all of our crew and dive guides, and information that will put you at ease before stepping foot on the ship. Our aim here on the Thorfinn is to provide all guests with the trip of a lifetime so as time goes by you will see us add more and more features and services to our already established liveaboard.
Thanks to all and see you next month. Ed Cardwell

So this morning, after some preparation, we made the 10 minute boat journey to the Fourth Fleet Anchorage to find that a mild current was running from the north.

Having previously not met much current in the lagoon, I first thought of the annoyances that such processes bring, however, after descending onto this phenomenal dive site, such things were completely forgotten.

The divers were first guiding towards the fore ship which holds the trucks hanging over the port beam and light tank on deck, and were again intoxicated by the fish life the lagoon has to offer. The usually schools of game fish were present amongst the high masts rising up to shallow water, and with tuna circling the bow, playing in the current, we knew this dive was going to be a good one!

A quick look in hold #1 revealed mines and shell casings and moving aft onto the machine gun we could see towards the stern, two large sized grey reef sharks being followed by schools of jacks.

As they circled above us on top of the bridge, the larger one made several close passes allowing us to get some fantastically close photos. Still surrounded by life we made a final stop to see the artillery guns on the aft deck and made our ascent along this spectacular mast.

Usually eagle rays are seen on the bow but with the current running, we saw them hovering behind the stern, capping off one of the best dives of the trip so far.

Once we were all satisfied with photographs and encounters, our ascent was again flooded with pelagic encounters on one of the most magnificent wrecks Truk Lagoon has to offer.

Once on the deck we headed straight for the deepest part which is hold #1 and 2 and after a quick look at the truck that fell overboard sitting at 60m, we entered hold #1 and 2 which are linked and contain trucks and plenty of ammunition. Out of the hold and moving aft, anti-aircraft guns, huge bomb damage and the stern gun covered in soft corals made for some great photography and as the group began to approach 70 bar, we began our ascent. With big game fish such as trevally, dogtooth tuna and barracuda snacking on the abundant fish populations as they swarm and pulsate around the soft corals on the funnel and masts, the ascent was just as entertaining. Once on our 5m stop, the divers were signaling each other their air supplies and checking deco times expecting a drawn out 10 minute stop, but to everyone’s excitement, a small pod of bottlenose dolphins who seemed just as excited as the divers came in for an routine inspection. Amongst the pod was a new mother, her baby no longer than ½ m, who seemed to do extremely well to keep up with the group and after a few minutes of darting and eye to eye contact, they swam off into the blue leaving nothing but some very big smiles on the faces of our small group.

Today we saw a friendly Manta Ray come in to get its parasites and skin cleaned on the Shinkoku Maru. The Shinkoku Maru is very popular with our divers as it very big, has several fantastic artifacts and guns but is also home to thousands of reef fish such as Longfin Butterflyfish who clean the top of the Manta’s skin, and Cleaner Wrasse that focus more around the mouth and gills of the ray. Our divers had a great interaction with the curious Manta Ray for nearly 30 minutes before he moved away into the blue.

I have for so long been dreaming of diving on these glorious World War II wrecks that have made themselves forever famous, however, it is difficult to ignore the incredible marine life and underwater encounters this area has to offer. After the first month of diving I have had shark encounters comparable with those in the waters surrounding South Africa, one-on-one Manta Ray experiences that surpass those of swimming with them in Mozambique and at the same time completing 30 minute penetrations through the engine rooms of some of the largest war ships ever made! Needless to say, this month has been way more than I could have expected and I now feel the need to keep a weekly trip report for anyone who wants to read it, containing photographs, dive profiles, up and coming events, guest comments and much more.

I have heard many things and read numerous media articles on Truk Lagoon regarding the depth of sites and people planning dives involving extremely long decompression stops and as a Tec diver myself I was fully prepared. However, upon arrival I realized that there is something for everyone and that there are nearly 30 wrecks well within recreational limits. The use of Enriched Air Nitrox leaves plenty of time for exploration both inside and outside these wrecks and after seeing my fair share of coral reefs, it must be said, these wrecks have more colour and often provide better encounters with marine life than the majority dive sites I have visited. Huge schools of big game fish, reef sharks, Napoleon Wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, nudibranch’s, and reef fish smoother the soft corals that have had 60+ years to develop, and even the occasional Manta Ray makes a visit to these abundant reefs for a good clean.

It must also be said that I have done some incredible decompression dives over the last few weeks. There are so many deeper wrecks here to be explored which contain tanks, cars, trucks, artillery guns, cannons, torpedo’s, depth charges, the majority have huge bow and stern guns, but more than anything else, the sheer size of these historical marvels provide divers with more than enough entertainment.

Diving conditions have been fantastic over the last week with as little as 3 knots of breeze and glassy, crystal clear waters awaiting exploration. Trade winds blow in Chuuk from North-East up to 15 knots from Mid-December till April which generally clears sediment and brings very good visibility, up to 30-40m/120-150ft. However, with very little wind in the last week we have had amazingly clear water and fantastic surface conditions bringing great joy to all involved.

The last trip in November was my first full trip and was very made special by a couple from Switzerland on their annual dive holiday. Having the ship to themselves they were immediately excited and throughout the week, blown away by the enthusiasm by one of our long term Dive Guide’s, Tomo. Amongst all of the fascinating wreck dives during the week, to our joy, they made it perfectly clear that they would return next year. During the week they visited no less than 25 different wrecks, submarines, destroyers, merchant vessels, aircrafts, and so on but also a special trip to the southern outer reef in Chuuk. Truk Lagoon is positioned on-top of an extinct volcanic atoll and home to over 70 World War II wrecks, however, outside of the lagoon you will find coral walls that drop as deep as 1000m/3000ft+. Here, 60m/180ft+ visibility and on the correct tide where strong currents are present and upwellings are created, anything pelagic should be expected. This particular visit brought silver-tip sharks, and large numbers of white-tips, black-tips and very inquisitive grey reef sharks, along with the usual schools of barracuda, and jacks with dogtooth tuna patrolling and eagle rays cruising. This is truly an unexplored haven and will be encouraging other divers of similar interests to pay the $50 extra in fuel charges. We will be very much looking forward to their return visit, in particular to Viola’s special dancing in front of the spa on the last night which had the crew in stitches until the early hours of the morning! Thank you.

Our next visit was from some friends from one of the military bases in Guam, from various divisions and an experienced diver from Germany who decided to stay with us for two weeks. One week on-board the ship seems to fly past especially if you are completing 5 dives a day and an extra week gives you the chance to see more of the unseen wrecks and visit the ones that you were particularly impressed with. Many people also fly onto Yap or Palau after Truk Lagoon as flights work out nicely that way and seems a long way to come for just one week. Anyhow, for those looking for the trip of a lifetime, we still have a few spots available for our Pan Micronesia Voyage. This trip involves two weeks on-board and will take you from Chuuk, through to Yap and finishes in Palau, diving along the way at all of the most remote destinations you can dream of. Then after two weeks, we turn around and do it all again! If this sounds like something that would interest you please do not hesitate to contact us on seaward@mail.fm. We have had some difficulty with our previous on board Satellite server and have switched to a new server and therefore our ship email has changed so all inquiries please use this new email address.

Lastly, we have had some especially nice visitors involving one particularly friendly Bottlenose Dolphin on the left who came to visit the divers on their safety stops after a dive on the Fujikawa Maru. Not only did this young male interact for over 15 minutes underwater but continued to frolic with the bow waters of one of dive tenders, Downrider 2, nearly all the way back to the ship. Hopefully this confident mammal will be a regular sighting and will be sure to keep you posted on further sightings.

We also had friendly Manta Ray come in to get its parasites and skin cleaned on the Shinkoku Maru last week. The Shinkoku Maru is very popular with our divers as it very big, has several fantastic artifacts and guns but is also home to thousands of reef fish such as Longfin Butterflyfish who clean to top of the Manta’s skin, and Cleaner Wrase that focus more around the mouth and gils of the ray. Our divers had great interaction with the curous Manta Ray for nearly 30 minutes before he moved away into the blue. We are continually stunned by the marine life showing up on our wrecks and I am sure we will have more news for you next week.

Over the Christmas months we have a couple from Switzerland who come every year staying on board and I am sure we will have some more great stories from the wrecks and reefs here for next week’s Divemaster Blog. Please again note that our wesite is www.thorfinn.net and our new email address is seaward@mail.fm and you will get through to our friendly customer service agent, Hayley, that will provide you with answers to any questions you may have. Here at Thorfinn we pride ourselves on catering to individual needs to ensure that we provide you with everything you desire on this one in a lifetime opportunity to dive in Truk Lagoon. Therefore feel free to email us with any queries you may have regarding photography, technical or rebreather requirements or any other out of the ordinary needs.

We have made some very exciting progress  regarding photography and videography equipment and will be holding seminars from experts regarding the use of advanced media equipment and software. I will announce when and who will be coming but it should be very exciting to have some experts on board.

We will also be newly supplied with some high quality technical dive equipment from a popular brand name and will very soon be running both TDI and DSAT Technical Dive courses. We also are close to being supplied with rebreathers for both courses and rental. Times of Thorfinn look very exciting so watch this space for further developments.

I have already mentioned limited availability for Pan Micronesia Tour so please email us for further details of you are interested in seeing some of the best that Micronesia has to offer.

Have a wonderful Christmas and we hope to see you on the S.S. Thorfinn in 2011.