Truk Lagoon Odyssey — Trip Report Our expedition to Truk Lagoon in fact was a chance. The destination of our journey would be Bikini Atol, but with the closure of operations of that island diving, the tickets already issued and paid up to Honolulu and vacation already scheduled, we had no doubt to try to find an alternative to Bikini .. . and the gods of diving conspiring in our favor, our destination was changed to Truk LAGOON - THE SHIPWRECK DIVING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD! HISTORY: A place lost in the middle of the Pacific, Truk, Chuuk is the current name and means "mountain" in chuukese language. Chuuk is one of the islands that comprise the Federated States of Micronesia (comprising the states of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap). An independent country since 1986, through a pact of Free Association with the United States, but completely dependent on the Americans. During World War II, the Japanese dominated this part of the ocean and Truk Lagoon (the main atoll of the central lake) became the main port of supply of warships Japanese, who were sent there for the rest of the Pacific war against the allied forces. On February 17, 1944, the United States attacked the Japanese ships in Chuuk - the call operation Hailstorm. There were dozens of ships - more than 60 - (so-called "Maru" - cargo ships) and over 200 Japanese aircraft were destroyed, including 2 destroyers and a submarine. Most of warships were not in Truk. Facts: Currently, each family has a chuukese motorboat for ...