It was to be our last dive of this Chuuk “ Truk Lagoon” holiday and our second dive on the destroyer Fumizuki. The ride out is about five miles and was not too bad as the wind and waves were coming from our stern, we had five of our club plus dive guide on the dive.
As you get to 15metres depth the wreck comes into view the bow and 15% of the forward part of the ship is smashed, like some giant has put their thumb on the bow and flattened it to the sea bed, apart from that the ship is in lovely condition with just a slight list to the port side.
You hit the top of the bridge at 28 metres and swim through the window across the bridge and out the other side to look at the triple torpedo launcher in front of the bridge. Then back around the starboard side of the bridge and over the first of the missing smoke stacks, the gun in between the smoke stacks is gone just the platform is left. Back from the other missing smoke stack is the machine gun post, from there you come across other pieces of warfare that is so encrusted in coral that it is hard to know what you are looking at.
The main gun platform is next. Under the first gun you come to there is a clear space on the deck beneath the gun barrel where you can watch cleaner wrasse at work. The second gun is missing. Then it’s back down to the deck and a look over the starboard side to see the prop still in place at a depth of 36 metres.
Back up over the side, work your way back towards the bridge staying up a bit to get as much time on the wreck as possible, with 20 metres + vis swimming ten metres above the deck gives you a good idea of the size of the ship.
After 22 mins it is time to leave before we start getting into a deco dive, a slow ride back against the wind and waves but with a smile on our faces.
Julian Avis
