TUMON, Guam, June 15, 2006 Divers from around the world travel to Guam to dive the deepest water on Earth, the 37,000-foot-deep Marianas Trench. And while they’re there, many take in the only undersea site where shipwrecks
from WWI and WWII rest side by side.
Guam is much more than a destination for the expert diver. It also presents a world of underwater magnificence for divers of all skill levels and interests, as well as a range of island-based adventure activities such as jungle trekking and sea kayaking. As the Gateway to Micronesia, Guam also affords active travelers an ideal location from which to explore nearby
islands such as Saipan, Yap, Palau and Pohnpei.
The Guam Visitors Bureau has just launched a new Web page — http://www.visitguam.org — that offers colorful and captivating video, audio and a downloadable PDF with information about Guam’s many undersea adventures.
With a comfortable average temperature of 85 degrees year-round, the waters surrounding Guam are brimming with colorful and exotic underwater sea creatures. There are more than 400 types of hard coral, 1,000 varieties of
mollusks and 900 kinds of marine life, including moray eels, sea turtles, pilot whales and dolphins in the area.
For beginning divers, there’s Dogleg Reef, a very easy beach dive with a variety of coral as well as sunken trucks and jeeps from World War II. Shark’s Pit, a beginning boat dive, serves as the resting place of World War II military tanks and other equipment, and also attracts small reef sharks. Another easy boat dive, Barracuda Rock, has a cave with a 40-foot tunnel for snorkeling. At Finger Reef, beginners can swim with thousands of small reef fish, and at Cocos Island Lagoon they will encounter many schools of tropical fish, miniature octopus and pods of Pacific Spinner dolphins year-round.
Advanced divers have a choice of wrecks to explore, including the Kitsugawa Maru, a coal-fired, steam-driven ship that is fully intact. Intermediate to advanced divers can also explore the SMS Cormoran, a 335-foot World War I German auxiliary cruiser which requires dives at depths of 70 to 125 feet, and the Tokai Maru, a Japanese freighter torpedoed in 1943. In fact, Guam is the only place in the world can divers touch two shipwrecks from twoworld wars.
The Blue Hole, the ultimate underwater attraction in Guam, requires advanced skills. This vertical chimney begins at 60 feet below the surface and empties into the face of a vertical wall 125 feet deep. Located off the south side of Orote Peninsula Point, the Blue Hole has a large opening in the plateau that allows divers to exit the hole, or to watch schools of sea turtles and leopard rays swim by.
Guam has dive operators that offer dive boat charter services, training facilities and dive equipment for rent or sale. These companies can arrange lessons and diving excursions upon your arrival. When planning a dive trip to the area, keep in mind that December to May is the best time to explore the seas of Guam as underwater visibility is up to 150 feet.
To learn more about diving on Guam visit http://www.visitguam.org.
ABOUT GUAM
Situated in the Western Pacific, Guam is known as the gateway to Micronesia and provides a range of exciting activities that are complementary to its closest island neighbors. A trip to Guam can encompass many activities, including diving in the Marianas Trench, the deepest water in the world; snorkeling in amazingly diverse coral reef areas; jungle trekking to secluded beaches, historic sites and pristine waterfalls; sea kayaking the coast and swimming with the dolphins and xperiencing the rich Chamorro culture and warm hospitality that is distinctly Guam. Guam also offers top-level golf courses designed by golfing greats such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Sam Snead. The island also has a pleasing selection of
Asian, European and Chamorro-influenced dining establishments, luxury resorts and moderately priced hotels.
For more Guam on ITKT
