31st of July, 2008

Earthwatch Volunteer, Warren Luce

Today we awoke to heavy rains and winds. One look and we all knew we would not get an early start. Around ten it started to clear and off we went. Eight of us in the boat (turns out it is faster to take the boat around the point to the dive shop than it is to drive). We all got our gear, loaded the boats and set off to the first dive site. As we arrived we saw an oil slick. It seemed to extend for miles. One boat went to investigate and found that the oil was indeed coming from one of the shipwrecks (Hoyo Maru). One team was sent to photograph where the leak was coming from and take still photographs and video. The documentation will be sent to the Chuuk Department of Marine Resources and hopefully gain support and resources to deal with the pollution.

The remaining teams proceeded to Kiyosumi Maru (a 8,614 ton armed transport). She lies on her side in 120 feet of water and rises up to 30 feet below the surface. We ran three Reef Check surveys starting mid-section to the shallowest end (at her stern). Hi Valerie. The growth and fish life on the horizontal surfaces was sparse at best. But on the deck side facing more light the growth was incredible. Corals, hanging vegetation and fish of all types. Schools of small fry swam over head and around us, paying us no particular attention. The colours were wonderful and a tremendous way to finish the dive.

We lunched while sitting on the grass of the “Blue Lagoon Resort” watching the light surf break on the white sand; a welcomed rest. After ample surface time we were off to dive a Myrt (long range reconnaissance airplane). Four teams ran Reef Check surveys. Visibility was poor but everyone completed their assignments, then it was back to the dive shop to wash gear and head back to our quarters (Kurassa Hotel).

Dinner was highlighted by a few rounds of old Kingston Trio tunes.

Yes, there was an equipment find with resulting reward.And now at 9:15 teams are entering data from their surveys and the place is starting to get quiet as folks head off to bed and I say good night for now, Bon a note.

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Earthwatch Volunteer, Edward Talbot

This day saw our team up at our early riser time of 7:30 am with the anticipation of hitting the waves around 8:15. But a night of rain and wind greeted us with a day of the same and the prudent course was to wait to see what the weather would do before we boarded our boat for the Blue Lagoon Dive Shop. Our time to decide was 9:00 am at the Kurassa Hotel and by that time the wind had died and under a leaden sky we set out for our ride around the north coast of Weno for the Blue Lagoon Dive Center. Our PI Bill told us that our objectives for the day might shift owing to a report about one of the sunken Japanese shipwrecks (the Kiyosumi Maru) had been seen to be leaking oil and we were to investigate the situation for the Department of Marine Resources who would be fully appreciative of whatever information we could provide on the oil leak if indeed it was observed. An hour later we reached our intended dive site just to the east of the island of Fefan. Our intention had been to send over teams to do 20 meter coral and biologic transects on the hull of the vessel but we observed a plume of oil off to our west and parallel to us. Stretching from a singular point and proceeding to the north we observed a long and expanded stream of what appeared to be an oil leak.

After some discussion and evaluation, the judgment initially was that there was a leak from the 470 foot Hoyo Maru which was a tanker built in 1936 by Mitsubishi and which now lies upside down in the lagoon. Our two boat team with some crew reshuffle now took Bill with several of our volunteer members including Alex and dive master Tammy over to where the leak was apparently originating. The plan was to dive the site to find the source of the leak, evaluate it, and both video and photograph it. This developing problem reinforced the value the presence of our Eathwatch Team could provide to Chuuk in the flexibility we had to respond to this changed situation and develop information that would be of use to the proper island authorities in understanding what was happening. Standing on the deck of our remaining boat anchored above the Kiyosumi Maru, I took a mosaic of photographs that tracked the oil leak from its source off until it could not be seen in the distance – truly a disturbing reminder that the conflagration of the Pacific War as it was played out in Truk Lagoon more than 65 years ago was still impacting our lives and natural environment today.

With proper precautions to avoid contamination for the divers, the team members descended to the hull of the Hoyo Maru and found the source of the leak where grape sized globules of oil could be seen seeping from the hull and rapidly rising to the surface where they burst upon surfacing and spread an ever increasing sheen of oil on the surface downwind from the shipwreck site. Alex expertly videoed the ascending globules and Tammy photographed them as well. On the surface our team volunteers reported the reek of hydrocarbons was strong and pervasive.

This work and events early in our day was disturbing from the aspect of what did the future hold for more leaks and potentially catastrophic hull or bunker failures from the shipwrecks in the lagoon as deterioration proceeded. Questions with answers still to be determined and acted upon.

The source of the oil, Hoyo Maru (Photograph by Tammy Chan)

Warren Luce aboard the survey vessel and with the oil slick in the background

(Photograph by Tammy Chan)

30th of July, 2008

By Earthwatch Volunteer, Matthew Leonard.

The team rose, were fed and ready for departure at 08:15 am.

There was a moderate delay (by international airline standards) due to finding the boats and drivers. In the intervening time the volunteers spent time discussing their equipment, putting wetsuits on and off, getting to know each other and wondering if they were in the right place. Gordon the Banker kept the spirits up with a choc-ice each for the adults which did wonders for the volunteers. Dr Bill PI gave increasingly certain assurances and eventually, faced with a volunteer mutiny, his prayers were rewarded.

Both the boats were assembled together in the same place, the volunteers then played a short game of musical chairs in the boats, and then having correctly allocated and matched buddies, BCD, bags to the right boat – departed for the dive site.

The team divided into 2 groups and set off to the first dive site – the Emily a WWII Japanese seaplane in 16 metres of water lying upside down. Many of the team wondered what to expect having never seen an upside down seaplane – however we all found it and enjoyed an interesting dive where we were able to hone our survey techniques and look for some of the corrosion characteristics described by Dr. MacLeod on the previous evening. The teams were expertly supported in developing their transect survey techniques by Mandy (Team Biologist from Canada); Mandy is getting a writing slate with lines on it for Xmas so she can perfect her handwriting so it looks less like magnets on a drunken Russian sailors fridge door.

All divers returned to the correct vessel and we made our way to Etten Island for lunch. Etten was developed as a fighter base for Japanese zeros, involving large scale reclamation and construction of a retaining wall which is still standing, and provides a foundation for several settlements used by the local islanders today.

Fed and watered, both teams proceeded to the next dive site next to Etten island which was a WWII Japanese zero upside down in 8 metres. One group of divers performed a search pattern in the area whilst the more proficient younger divers did some line transects along the reef next to the Zero.

The team then headed for the short trip home across calm waters and had another satisfying meal at the hotel followed by a team debrief / therapy sessions. After day 2 / dive 3 there are yet to be any public requests for changes to buddy teams or accusations of coral damage / littering / equipment theft. Entry and Exit techniques were discussed at length. All volunteers gave a positive feedback on their experience and it seemed most were looking forward to the rest of the trip with vigor and anticipation.

The team then retired to prepare for the next day.

Team – Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the day
1 Cameras Drowned = 1 (brand withheld), no tears observed
2 Lost weights / dropped mask / computers = 0
3 Successful Transects - X
4 Meals – 3
5 DCS/ Injuries – 0
6 Bad Jokes – 2 a minute
7 Tantrums – none publicly observed
8 Poor Photos - 350
9 Happy campers – 8 volunteers

Matt and Ed doing transects (Photograph by Tammy Chan)

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Next Volunteer Start Here

28th of July, 2008

Earthwatch volunteers shopping in Chuuk (Photograph by Tammy Chan)

Chuukese boys using an old fridge for a fishing trip--or just perhaps having some fun

(Photograph by Tammy Chan)

Project Team Leader Mandy Hengeveld from Canada brought a box of medical supplies for the Chuuk Hospital--good on ya Mandy! (with Earthwatch volunteer William Forsee and PI, Dr Ian Macleod), (Photograph by Tammy Chan).

Mandy with Hospital Staff--the supplies were very well received (Photograph by Tammy Chan)

27th of July, 2008

The Historic Preservation Office and some of the seized artefacts from the shipwrecks recovered illegally by divers (Photograph by Tammy Chan)

The interpretation sign about the Chuuk Lagoon shipwrecks at the Blue Lagoon Resort

(Photograph by Tammy Chan)

A Sunday BBQ on the beach (Photograph by Tammy Chan)

Reflecting on that fish that got away, or will get away in the future

(Photograph by Tammy Chan)

29th of July, 2008

Earthwatch.org Expedition
Chuuk, Micronesia
July 29th, 2008

My name is Alex Cohen, one of the 8 volunteers for the "Diving the World War II Wrecks of Truk Lagoon” with Dr. Bill Jeffery.

Since we all have a wide range of diving backgrounds and knowledge of the coral reef life, we started the day with a Reef Check lecture on the coral reefs, by Mandy Hengeveld, whose job it is to survey the natural health of the shipwrecks. We'll be working with her to run 'transects,' and cataloging the corals, fish and various invertebrates along a 5 meter wide strip measured along a 30 meter tape.

The purpose is to assess the quality of the reef/wrecks and by performing this over a period of years, to record the changes in the quality of the corals over time on the wrecks in Truk Lagoon.

Following the lecture and lunch we took off to the Blue Lagoon's docks for our first dive. While most of the divers took the boat from our hotel Kurassa, I and two other divers traveled south through town by vehicle to the docks. The quality of the roads is fairly poor as the potholes are absolutely enormous and as plentiful as the stray dogs that mope about looking for handouts. These potholes however, seemed ready to swallow our truck whole but thankfully we encountered none deeper than about half a foot. The road south passes dozens of shops all of which have seen better days, many are closed, possibly quite recently, and the ones that remain are often built of deeply rusted corrugated steel siding.

Once at the dock we took off for the Susuki, to dive on the ship for our checkout by our Dive Master, Tammy. Afterwards we dove for about 50 min to get our bearings, and try doing a trial run transect. While we observed many species of hard 'reef building' coral, the fish appeared to have evacuated the area, and who could blame them given the rather poor 50-foot visibility.

The dive was very good preparation for performing our Reef Check work, particularly for those of us lucky enough to dive with Mandy, who diligently pointed out the differences between bleached coral and recently killed coral. She also pointed out the wide variety of sponges, soft corals and tunicates inhabiting the wreck.

We then washed our equipment and came back to the Kurassa Hotel for dinner and discussion about our day.


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Next Volunteer Start Here

25th of July, 2008

Bill on the bow of Fujikawa Maru making assessment before Earthwatch volunteer arrive

(Photograph by Tammy Cham)

Memorial plaque on Fujikawa Maru

(Photogrpah by Tammy Chan)

The mast remains on Fujikawa Maru

(Photograph by Tammy Chan)

Aquatic marine life is prolific on Fujikawa Maru

(Photograph by Bill Jeffery)