Nestled in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, invisible on most world globes, there is a grouping of islands known as Micronesia. Despite being scattered over millions of miles of ocean, the islands themselves make up a very small proportion of landmass. Micronesia is divided up into five separate states which are each riddled with many islands, lagoons and atolls, as well as the Marshall islands which are often fall under the name “Micronesia” although are not part of the Federated States. The three most significant dive locations are the states of Yap, Chuuk (formerly Truk), and Palau. Most divers reach these destinations by flying first to Guam and from there take Continental Micronesia to the various islands. A “Visit Micronesia Pass” is a great option for divers planning to visit more than one island. There is also an “island hopper” flight to Micronesia from Honolulu.
Visitors can choose to visit Micronesia at any time of year, as the weather is relatively unchanging. Although a wetter climate, typically seeing 10-15 days of rain per month, the temperature highs remain at a balmy 30 degrees year round. In terms of water clarity, overall, many of the locations have viz in excess of 100 feet or 30 meters, due to the remote location and relatively low water traffic.

The State of Chuuk consists of many smaller islands surrounded by a large atoll dotted with sandbars, small coral islands, and reefs galore. Visitors fly into Chuuks airport on the island of Weno and are instantly rewarded with views of lush rolling hills and the simple lifestyle of the native peoples. From Weno, dive vacations can be found via the live-aboard vessels “Truk Odyssey” or “SS Thorfinn”. The Truk Odyssey runs a seven day tour of the lagoon and neighbouring islands and dive sites, while the Thorfinn can be boarded any day of the week and even for shorter durations. These trips are great for groups, and provide all the necessities for a comfortable and relaxing dive vacation. As an alternative, visitors may wish to stay at the Blue Lagoon Resort, Chuuk’s official dive resort location. Also located on Weno, vacations arranged through the resort include transportation to and from the airport. Dive boats depart right from the resort dock. But enough about that, let’s get on to the diving... more

Next up is the island of Yap. Known as the land of Stone Money, Yap is a culturally rich, lushly vegetated island, located just 9 degrees north of the Equator. Unlike many South Pacific islands, Yap is an uplifted portion of the Asian Continental Shelf. It is surrounded by a broad shallow lagoon and nearly 90 miles of barrier reef. Yap became famous in the diving community for it's large population of resident Manta Rays. Over 100 Manta Rays live year round in the waters surrounding Yap... more

Finally, Palau is the third island of notable size in the Micronesian region. Although technically not part of Micronesia itself, Palau is very close in vicinity to the Federated states and is often recognized by dive magazines as being the same destination. The country of Palau is an island-based country consisting of 16 different island states... more