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Chuuk
With more ocean than land, some of Micronesia's top sites
are underwater. Many WWII relics lie hidden under the
tropical waters; 60 Japanese ships were sunk by American forces
as retaliation for Pearl Harbour. Ironically, this
tragic loss of life has made Chuuk one of the best wreck diving
locations in the world, a scuba lovers' vast undersea museum
of more than 100 submerged sea vessels and aircrafts. The
warm tropical waters and marine life have transormed Chuuk
lagoon into a beautiful coral garden and home to exotic, tropical
wildlife.
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Megan MccCormick get ready to see the underwater world
of Chuuk
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Situated roughly in the centre of the states of Micronesia,
Chuuk is a collection of tiny islands scattered across the
expanse of the Pacific Ocean. The islands are heavily forested
with numerous sandy beaches, great for both walks, wildlife
treks or hot bathing. The total land mass of the islands is
a tiny 80 square miles.
Chuuk Lagoon, renowned for its world class diving is a
small island surround by coral reef. This Lagoon once sheltered
the Japanese Imperial Navy during WW II. The main island of
Weno has the world's largest lagooon and its highest
peaks, the Tonachau Mountain Iras, is the home of the
legendary God Souwniras and his divine son.
For centuries, Chuuk has served as a crossroads for sea traders
and adventures. With fresh waterfalls, and centuries old historic
sites from 16th Century Spanish explores to 20th century battlegrounds,
there is much to offer a visitor.
Yap
Yap is an ancient island of legends. It's located nine degrees
north of the equator and its east side is in the Pacific and
the west side in the Philippine Sea. Known as the land of
stone money, where ancient monetary trading coins were
carved out of stone and are still used to this today. The
language of dance is fundamental to the islanders, replacing
speach as a means of learning their native history. Life is
traditional for Yap islanders, they wear grass skirts and
loin cloths and are shy towards tourists.
Yap is an ocean eden, with clear waters and schools of tuna,
wahoo, sailfish, dophins and reef fish found in abundance.
The region is a prime site for seeing manta rays up
close, making it a foremost diving attraction.
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