Archive for month: November, 2015

$5,620 for this Luxury Liveaboard scuba diving trip which includes:

6 days diving up to 5 dives a day

NITROX, Doubles if desired

Round Trip Airfare from HNL

(transfers, taxes, and dive permit included)

Live aboard is the way to go when you want to dive in Truk Lagoon.  The Odyssey is said to be the best 4 star live aboard yacht in the MidPac.

Chuuk State consists of seven major island groups lying within the Eastern Caroline Islands, about 617 miles
Southeast of Guam and 3,262 miles Southwest of Hawaii. Chuuk is located 7 degrees North latitude, 149 degrees East longitude.

Diving in Truk Lagoon is an adventure you will never forget.  Dozens of visually dazzling WWII wrecks are scattered across 77 square miles.  The wrecks are covered with marine life, stem to stern.  There are more than 300 varieties of hard and soft corals.

On the outer reef, you will find mountains of coral that stretch as far as the eye can see and drop off into the abyss.  It is not unusual to see large fish and pelagic sharks.

Water temperature ranges from 82 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

Visibility ranges from 30’ to over 100’ depending on where you are in the lagoon.

Your day aboard the Truk Odyssey begins after a 7am hot breakfast with the first dive brief about 7:45am.  Most days you will do two dives before lunch.  During lunch, the boat will generally move to a new site.  When lunch is done, you can either do a third dive or relax in your room or out on either of the sundecks.  A late afternoon dive is next.

Dinner is served around 6:30pm.  After dinner you may choose to do a fifth (night) dive or hang around the salon and relax or sort through the thousand photos you took on your first four dives.

Guests generally gather in the entertainment lounge to watch a movie or watch your videos of the day’s dives.

Most of the dive sites are fairly close together, so it’s easy for the boat to move around.  They don’t require everyone to dive at the same time.  It’s not unusual for a buddy team to be the only divers on a 500’ wreck.  Photographers have more opportunities to shoot the wrecks without waiting for others to get out of the shot.

Operation Hailstone:  (Briefly)

Truk was a major Japanese logistical base as well as the operating home base for the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Combined Fleet during WWII.  The atoll was the only major Japanese airbase within range of the Marshall Islands and was a significant source of support for the Japanese garrisons located on islands and atolls throughout the Central and South Pacific.  

On February 17, 1944, the US attacked, raining devastation on anything Japanese on or near Truk, using a combination of airstrikes, surface ship actions and submarine attacks over two days.  Several daylight and nighttime airstrikes employed fighters, dive bombers and torpedo aircraft in attacks on Japanese airfields, aircraft, shore installations and ships in and around Truk Lagoon and anchorage.  A force of US surface ships and submarines guarded possible exit routes from the island’s anchorages to attack any Japanese ships that tried to escape.

In total, the attack sank at least three Japanese light cruisers (Agano, Katori & Naka), four destroyers (Oite, Fumizuki, Maikaze & Tachikaze), three auxiliary cruisers, (Akagi Maru, Aikoku Maru, Kiyosumi Maru), two submarine tenders (Heian Maru & Rio de Janeiro Maru), three smaller warships (including sub chasers CH-24 & Shonan Maru 15), aircraft transport Fujikawa Maru and 32 merchant ships.  Some of the ships were destroyed in the anchorage and some in the area surrounding Truk Lagoon.  Many of the merchant ships were loaded with reinforcements and supplies for Japanese garrisons in the Central Pacific area.  Very few of the troops aboard the sunken ships survived and little of their cargo was recovered. Operation Hailstone, for the most part, ended Japan’s occupation of Truk and a major threat to Allied operations in the Central Pacific.

Truk Odyssey amenities include:

• Large portholes or windows in each cabin
• Full air conditioning in all salons and staterooms
• Private ensuite bathrooms and showers in each stateroom
• Large entertainment lounge with TV,DVD and VCR
• Movie library to choose from
• Library of books and magazines
• Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and all snacks
• Beer, wine and other beverages
• Airport transfers

Truk Odyssey dive deck facilities include:

• Personal dive lockers
  
• Two gear rinse tanks
• Large, convenient dive platform
• Two dive ladders
• Fixed safety/deco bar
• Tanks are filled at your seat
• Freshwater shower
• Warm deck towels
• Nitrox, for certified Nitrox divers
• DIN or yoke valves
• Tanks (alum 80 and steel 112)
• weights and belts

Photographer support systems include:

• Large 3 tier camera table
• Two camera rinse tanks
• Large slide table
• Battery changing station

Truk Odyssey Boat Specifications:

• Length: 132’, Beam: 24’, draft 6’
• Type: Welded steel
• Engines: Twin screw Detroit Diesel
• Tenders:  25’ custom aluminum with 40hp Yamaha outboard motors and 20’ aluminum with 40hp Yamaha outboard
• Compressors:  Two Mako 13.1cfm 5000 PSI
• Nitrox: Membrane System, storage banks for 7100 cubic feet

Here is the Truk Lagoon Flyer for you to share!

Want to check out the trip roster?

Only $1599 for this amazing Belize scuba diving trip which includes:

Roundtrip Airfare from Belize Airport

(BZE) to San Pedro

Three Days of 2 tank diving

Two days of 3 tank diving

Lamanai Tour

Sunset Cruise

Daily Breakfast

It may be one of the smallest nations in Central America, but Belize is home to the world’s second-longest barrier reef and three of only four true coral atolls in the western hemisphere. During the spring and early summer months, Belize is one of the most reliable destinations for swimming with whale sharks, and it boasts the most recognizable landmark in the known dive world, the massive ocean cavern known simply as the Blue Hole.

Now factor in the topside attractions-some of the most significant Mayan archaeological sites in all of Central America, laid back beach towns, remote island dive lodges and adventurous jungle tours. This doesn’t even begin to cover all the reasons thousands of divers flock to Belize every year.

In a country filled with exceptional dive options, Ambergris Caye (Where we are staying!) is the most popular spot for three simple reasons-location, location, location. The largest of 200 cayes that dot the coastline, it’s just a 20-minute plane ride from Belize City. It’s also the closest you can get to the Belize barrier reef. You’re never more than a few minutes by boat to a great dive on the deep coral formations that shelter the island, or to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Topside, San Pedro is one of those quirky, laid-back beach towns that divers take to instantly. Thanks to a just-right mix of waterfront restaurants, bars, internet cafes, ATMs and small stores, you have all the conveniences of home while still reveling in that world-away feeling.

Hol Chan is Mayan for “Little Channel” and refers to the deep cut in the barrier reef off Ambergris Caye.  It’s the access point to dive sites outside the barrier reef, and the center of the three-square-mile Hol Chan Marine Reserve. In place since 1987, the park is actively patrolled to enforce the rules: no anchoring, no touching the coral and no fishing. The aggressive protection has paid off in the form of abundant marine life and healthy stands of elkhorn coral.  The current can be blistering, but hanging out with the dense schools of jacks, grouper, snapper and barracuda massed along the walls is worth it.

The Belize barrier reef, the largest in the western hemisphere, stretches north to south along all 190 miles of the coastline, sheltering the interior cayes and providing divers with countless opportunities to explore. The reef runs closest to shore near Ambergris, slowly arcing away as it heads south. Dive operators specialize in taking divers through the deep coral canyons built by staghorn, elkhorn and brain corals. Many dive sites start in as little as 45 feet of water, but they can drop to 90 feet or more. Marine life includes all the usual Caribbean reef fish suspects, from tiny tropicals to reef sharks and turtles. The barrier reef is also home to the whitespotted toadfish, a species found only in Belize.

Belize is rare among top dive destinations in that it offers as many topside attractions as it does great dives. The convenient geography of the country (it’s only about the size of Massachusetts) means that from almost anywhere on the mainland you can venture out on a topside tour and be back at your resort in time for cocktails. Some of the most accessible Mayan archaeological sites in all of Central America are found in Belize, and should not be missed. Favorites include Xunatunich, an ancient ceremonial center overlooking the Mopan River valley 
near the Guatemala border; Altun Ha, just outside of Belize City; and Lamanai (Where we are going!), a scarcely excavated site on the New River Lagoon.

Although Belize is a relatively small country, it has an amazing variety of wildlife living in a wide range of habitats.  The country’s savannas and lowlands are home to rare waterfowl, it’s forests provide a refuge for tapirs, pumas and numerous tropical birds while the mountain harbor the elusive jaguar.  There are approximately 145 species of mammals living in Belize.  There are 139 species of reptiles and amphibians that have so far been identified in Belize, including over 56 species of snakes.  Belize is also a birder’s paradise with over 500 species of rare and beautiful birds.

About Belize:

No Visa required for US citizens.

Passport must be valid for six months AFTER your return date.

$35 cash departure tax to be paid at airport upon leaving.

English, Spanish and Creole are the major languages spoken.  (Belize used to be a British colony.)

Money:  One USD = 2 Belize Dollar  No need to exchange though, USD is gladly accepted.

Torn or tattered USD will be rejected.  Bring smaller bills, it can be hard to get change.

Credit cards aren’t always accepted when you are out and about.

You may bring 1 liter of spirits.  (Duty Free store!)

You may not bring in more than $5000 USD per person.

Bring bug spray!

Good idea to bring a light rain jacket.  Tropical places do get rain.

Average temperature in May is a high of 89 degrees, low of 78 degrees.

Water temperature in May should be between 80 and 84 degrees.

Electricity:  Plug in like US but wattage is 110v or 220v

Ambergris Caye/San Pedro:

(Rumor has it this is the island Madonna sang about in “La Isla Bonita”.)

Our week long abode is the Sunbreeze Hotel, located near the heart of town.  We are well within strolling distance of eateries, shops and bars.

Sunbreeze Hotel Phone:+501 226-2191

Beachfront, Ambergris Caye Belize

Coconut Drive, San Pedro Belize

The island is a 25 mile long, flat, coral sand island, protected on the east by a living reef that extends 185 miles down the coast of Belize. Ambergris is the Southernmost extension of the Yucatan Peninsula, a unique peninsula of porous limestone.

Golf carts and bicycles are the principal mode of transportation.  The streets are home to local and visiting barefoot strollers, casually making their way through the the shops and restaurants or just relaxing and chatting with the friendly locals. We can arrange to rent golf carts at the hotel.

Casual and cool is the name of the game when it comes to clothes.  Shoes are optional all around town.  There is a laundry service at the hotel, so you don’t need to pack a lot of clothes.

Belize Flyer for you to Share!

Want to check the roster?