News
Taking on Truk: The Fujikawa Maru (Watch Video)
In the first of three videos from their recent trip to Truk Lagoon, Richard and Hayley from Black Manta Photography share this incredible footage of the wreck of the Fujikawa Maru.
The Fujikawa Maru is readily accessible to divers, and one of the more shallow wrecks in Truk Lagoon. You’ll find the top of her superstructure a few metres under the surface, with her 133m long structure sitting upright in only 35m of water.
The Fujikawa was used as an aircraft supply freighter throughout the war efforts, and had in fact just unloaded 30 Jill torpedo bombers onto Eten Island airfield when she was struck by a single torpedo during the attack of ‘Operation Hailstone’. She was still carrying four Zero fighters, and a host of aircraft parts.
You really are spoilt diving the wreck of the Fujikawa – best covered over two dives to uncover the treasures this impressive wreck has to offer, as taking your time is a must!
The guts of the wreck reveal a series of gantrys that house huge walls of switches and valves, along with gauges, a telephone and the all too famous ‘R2-D2’ compressor – affectionately named after the Star Wars robot due to the two dials on the face of the machine that resemble two popping robotic eyes.
The vast holds hide an array of aeroplane parts that MacGyver would have a field day with, and in amongst the dozens of spare propellers, plane fuselages, and wheels you are rewarded with four Japanese fighter planes – the remnants of paint still visible but fully intact, and a perfect insight into the cockpit displaying the dials and levers, with the frame of the seat still in place.
The assortment of items resemble a military garage sale, and you can get lost on the number of ammunition shells and bullets strewn around, but most impressive must be an entire cargo hold full of beer bottles – thousands and thousands of them!
However, it’s up on deck that you become really impressed by the creative work of Mother Nature. The decks and masts are awash with corals and giant table anemones, and the two old English Vickers Armstrong 6 inch guns that sit on the deck are generously decorated with so many options of colours and types of coral that you forget you are looking at a ‘thing of war’.
The crossbar to the impressive king-posts is a marine micro city for a myriad of marine creatures, and if you time the dive right to complete your safety stop as day is turning to dusk, you will be rewarded with the most beautiful scene of soft coral bathing in the low sunlight that will be hard to beat!
Most certainly one of our favourite wrecks of the trip, and in all honesty the two dives and 160 mins spent underwater just didn’t seem enough – we really could have dived her all week and never been bored…
For more from Richard and Hayley visit www.blackmantaphotography.com.
Dive Worldwide has recently introduced Kenya to its portfolio of dive destinations, making it a new must-visit for divers. The company has chosen Temple Point Resort, located in Watamu, a small town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean Coast. The resort embodies the spirit of Kenya, with thatched roof buildings and bright white interiors, complemented with local art. The Creek Deluxe rooms enjoy a creek view and sunset vistas, whilst Boutique Garden rooms offer peace nestled in lush greenery.
An abundance of activities such as golf, stand up paddleboarding and kite surfing await those looking for action; while those in search of rejuvenation may partake in a range of yoga classes, or indulge in the spa. Spend evenings dining poolside dining or lazing in hammocks suspended over the creek; there is no detail missed at Temple Point.
The waters surrounding Temple Point Resort are bustling with life, however, there is also an opportunity to explore on dry land. Tsavo National Park is close enough for a day safari, allowing guests to double up on the wildlife experiences Kenya has to offer, from elephants to whale sharks.
Suggested Dive Itinerary: Dive and Discover Kenya
Embark on an adventure to one of Africa’s finest marine parks, Watamu, the first of its kind in the continent. Created in 1968, Watamu offers excellent diving and snorkelling for those of all experience levels. Lively coral reefs and the surrounding waters are home to over 1,000 species of fish, devil rays, mantas, whale sharks, dolphins and turtles.
DEAL: Stay 12 nights for the price of 10 at Temple Point Resort
Price: Dive and Discover Kenya now costs £2295pp, saving £150 per person. Including international flights from the UK, 12 nights’ B&B (for the price of 10), transfers, 5 days, 10 dive pack, tanks and weights. Based on travel in September ONLY. https://www.diveworldwide.com/trip-ideas/dive-discover-kenya#details
For more information visit: diveworldwide.com or call 01962 302 087
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
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