Diving in East Caroline Islands
Quick Facts
- • Entry types: Mostly shore entries
- • Expect: Varies by conditions visibility
- • Highlights: Discover East Caroline Islands's dive spots
Explore the underwater wonders of East Caroline Islands, ecoregion. This region features 8 documented dive spots, each offering unique underwater experiences. Whether you're seeking calm snorkeling bays, challenging freediving depths, or exciting scuba adventures, East Caroline Islands has something for every underwater explorer. Browse detailed spot information, check current conditions from recent dive logs, and connect with the local diving community to make the most of your visit.
Regional Context
🏛️ Marine Hierarchy
🌍 Associated Countries
Countries in East Caroline Islands (1)
Popular Spots in East Caroline Islands (8)
Fujikawa Maru
The Fujikawa Maru is a large wreck located at a depth of 34 meters (112 feet), with the deck at 18 meters (60 feet) and the top at 9 meters (30 feet). Divers can explore various features of the wreck, including guns, the pilothouse, staterooms, baths, and aircraft parts, along with an abundance of soft and hard corals.
Heian Maru Wreck
The Heian Maru is a passenger-cargo vessel constructed in 1930, measuring 155 meters in length. It rests at depths ranging from 10 to 35 meters in Truk Lagoon, making it the largest wreck in the area. The ship features expansive passageways, a significant bridge, and a large engine room. Its structure is adorned with various hard and soft corals, providing habitat for diverse fish species.
Manta Road
Manta Road is a drift dive between two coral reef walls with a maximum depth of 55 feet (18 meters). Divers can use a 200-foot line anchored to the bottom to navigate between primary and secondary cleaning stations. Common marine life includes manta rays, schools of blue-streak fusiliers, and occasional shark species such as blacktip, whitetip, and hammerhead sharks.
Palikir Wall
Palikir Wall is a drift dive best undertaken during an incoming current, approximately one hour after the flood begins. The wall features depths ranging from 50 to 150 feet and is populated with coral along the drop-off. Common marine life includes gray reef and white-tipped reef sharks, and divers should be aware of potential strong currents and small boat traffic due to nearby surf activity.
San Francisco Maru
The San Francisco Maru is a 117-meter-long passenger-cargo vessel that was constructed in 1919. It was sunk in 1944 during Operation Hailstone and currently rests on an even keel at depths ranging from 42 to 64 meters. This wreck is notable for its cargo of war materials, making it a significant site for technical diving in Truk Lagoon. The wreck is also adorned with a diverse array of hard and soft corals, providing habitat for a wide variety of marine life.
San Francisco Maru
The San Francisco Maru is a 116-meter-long wreck located at a depth of 60 meters (196 feet). Divers can explore the main deck, which contains well-preserved type 95 Ha-Go tanks and a truck, among other war materials. This site is accessible only to technical divers due to depth.
Shinkoku Maru
The Shinkoku Maru is a 152-meter-long naval tanker that was constructed in 1940 and sank in 1944 during Operation Hailstone. The wreck is situated upright on an even keel, with the superstructure extending from depths of 12 to 40 meters. The site is adorned with a variety of marine life, including corals, anemones, gorgonian fan corals, and sponges, which attract schools of juvenile fish, typical of the Truk Lagoon area.
Truk Lagoon
Truk Lagoon is renowned for its extensive wreck diving opportunities, stemming from the 1944 attack on the Japanese naval base, which resulted in the sinking of over 60 ships and more than 200 aircraft. The lagoon's depths are home to numerous historical war artifacts, providing a unique diving experience. The wrecks have fostered diverse marine ecosystems, with sponges and corals thriving in the area. Divers can expect to encounter grey reef sharks, stingrays, eagle rays, turtles, jellyfish, and a variety of tropical fish. The site is accessible by boat.