Since we finished up wreck diving yesterday, Karen and I decided to spend today diving on a barrier reef where we could really explore the marine organisms that make up a reef ecosystem. After this, our final dive, we packed away our scuba gear and boarded our plane to leave, relishing one last look at the atolls of Micronesia from the air.

Barrier Reef Diving

On the 45-minute boat ride to our dive location, Karen and I had an opportunity to see several small, uninhabited islands. Once we reached our location, we quickly geared up for our dive on the reef. Then, we plunged into the water, anxious to see what lay below. As I floated down through the clear water toward the bottom I could easily make out an enormous amount of coral growth. I arrived on the bottom a little ahead of Karen and, as I waited for her to hit the bottom, I noticed a large White Tip Reef Shark approaching from just outside my range of visibility. The shark came closer and swam within a few feet of me. It seemed to be as curious about me as I was about it. Just then Karen dropped down beside me, and the shark disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

I received the OK signal from Karen and we started swimming through a canyon with coral walls. The underwater terrain consisted of rolling hills of both soft and hard coral rising to 30-40 feet then falling off into 70 to 80 foot valleys.

Large table or platter coral adorned the reef slopes and blue colored fish darted around the white and orange sponges. Attached to patches of staghorn coral, beautiful yellow and black crinoids swayed in the gentle current.

		Suddenly Karen pointed off to our left as a second but larger White Tip Reef Shark slowly swam past us. We both stopped to watch this magnificent predator move gracefully off into the distance.
Just before leaving the bottom I observed a reddish colored lionfish that had taken up residence under an ivory colored bubble coral. Lionfish are beautiful, but notorious for the painful and even deadly stings they can inflict with their venomous spines.

Drifting along at my 15-foot decompression stop, I continued to watch the marine life action in this beautiful real-life aquarium. I reflected on my visit to a world where I had to carry my air on my back. The plants and corals we saw in this world grow rapidly, providing food and shelter to small animals, which in turn give sustenance to larger animals all the way up to the ultimate eating machines, sharks. Within my world humans are at the top of the food chain. I wonder where I would fit into the food chain of the aquatic world?

Atolls from the Air

Our final day has finally arrived and it is time to say goodbye to all the new friends we have made here on the island of Chuuk. As our plane takes off the ground I get my first chance to look out over the lagoon from the air.

Looking out the window I can make out the entire atoll. The lagoon measures 30 by 40 miles and within the lagoon there are 12 mountainous volcanic islands and numerous small flat coral islands. Banana, breadfruit, and palm trees cover all the islands with a green carpet. Surrounding the lagoon and the islands is the barrier reef that Karen and I dove on yesterday.

While in Chuuk, Karen and I explored eight different Japanese wrecks. I have tried to figure out which wreck was my favorite, but that is an impossible task because each wreck has its own unique points of interest. Though eight wrecks may seem like a lot to dive, there are at least 35 other wrecks in the lagoon. Some day, I hope return to explore some of the remaining wrecks. I would also love to return and spend more time with the students we met, and to exchange views and ideas with them about the differences between our two cultures.

Micronesia is a wonderful land, a place that one could spend a lifetime exploring, but our time here is over. As our plane quickly leaves Chuuk in the distance, Karen and I are on our way to Hawaii and Pearl Harbor. We are both looking forward to concluding our visit at the Arizona Memorial, which is the site of another historic WWII battle. We'll tell you all about that tomorrow.

Tom