Back in April, Melissa and I dived into the Graveyard of the Pacific- Truk Lagoon, the wreck diving capital of the world. It was something complete different for us, history meets biology, artifacts and artificial reefs all jumbled together into an emotional experience overflowing with unique photographic opportunities. We explored dozens of Japanese shipwrecks sent to the bottom during Operation Hailstone in February 1944, a result of intense bombing by American planes in a surprise airstrike which dealt the Japanese naval fleet a fatal blow. Swimming through lightless inner passageways of 500' long warships we were truly immersed in the darkness of World War II. We discovered caches of unexploded bombs and torpedoes, cargo holds with demolished Zero planes, tanks frozen in time, and even the remains of soldiers who perished at sea. The above is a wide angle fisheye picture from inside the bridge of the Nippo Maru, a scene featuring Mr. Potato Head which brought a little levity to the otherwise heavy solemnity of the place.
And here's a link to a slideshow with more images:
http://www.brandoncole.com/WEBGALLERIES/Truk2013_600pixel/
These pictures will soon be posted to our web site at www.brandoncole.com
