Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
FSM reefs and ocean are some of the cleanest and clearest waters in the world and are comfortable for diving and snorkeling all the year round.
Schools of tuna, barracuda and trevaly, pods of dolphins, turtles, Grouper aggregations and colorful collections of many tropical fish are commonly found. Yap and Pohnpei are famous for their world-renowned reef passes that have large groupings of giant manta rays, where divers and snorkelers can encounter these magnificent and gentle creatures up close and personal as the mantas feed on nutrients and plankton year-round.
In Kosrae, it is not unusual for the visibility under the water on and around the pristine fringing reef of the island to reach 60. There are over 172 types of hard coral and 10 types of soft coral, with an abundance of beautiful sea anemones and over 250 species of reef fish as well as other pelagic species that often venture near to the reef. Grey reef sharks, which are known to be quite harmless, are also a constant presence in and around the fringing reef.
Chuuk Lagoon is the known as the wreck diving capital of the world and any diver worth his or her salt should dive the sunken armada of the Japanese Fourth Imperial Fleet at least once in their lifetime.
Wreck Diving
The sea floor beneath the warm, clear waters of Chuuk Lagoon is steeped in history. It is a major shipwreck site from WWII, with the hulks having been transformed into amazing underwater museums and wonders of nature, holding the very best of the undersea world and maritime history at one site. Dubbed “ship-reefs”, the sites are as colorful as they are compact and offer hours of diving on each wreck.
By law, the underwater museum is intended for the enjoyment of the world’s most adventurous divers and the respectful diver should remember to leave all artifacts and remnants on-site.
Fishing
Sport and game fishing are literally unparalleled in the FSM, with some of the biggest sport fishing remaining in the world. A relatively new and undeveloped component of the growing variety of tourism activities within FSM, this is a niche that will get the juices flowing, from the novice fisher to the avid angler.
One may also enjoy excellent bottom fishing, casting from shore, trolling, catching giant mangrove crabs, and a variety of other fishing methods. Fishing is quickly becoming a very popular activity for visitors in Micronesia.
There are many fishing tournaments throughout Micronesia, and visitors are welcome to enter. Or contact a local guide of fishing-tour operator and enjoy a day of sun, sport-fishing and beautiful, deep blue waters and glimmering reefs on the ocean.
Surfing and Kite Surfing
Surfing is a bona fide activity in Pohnpei and Kosrae in particular, where beginner and world-class surfers come to find the perfect and uncrowded breaking pipe-waves on the fringing reefs.
It is the perfect waves that impress and attract professional surfers, who often travel with photographers and film-makers for major surf magazines to capture one of the world’s best right-hand waves in Pohnpei.
Kite surfing has also become a popular niche amongst the surf set in FSM. The best season is from October to March. Contact surf club operators in advance as the major surf points are reached by boat.
Canoe & Kayak
There is no experience quite like the solitude and natural wonder of a canoe or kayak ride through a mangrove channel. It gives one a unique perspective into the ecological wonder of Micronesia’s wondrous and varied mangrove forests up close and personal.
Traveling through these ancient native passage ways, one can find giant monitor lizards, the blue reef warbler, the Pacific reef heron, the red-breasted nectar-eater, and a host of other rare and unique avian fauna amidst the fantasy-novel settings that these forests provide.
The quiet, glassy surface of the water also reveals an amazing array of colorful marine life below. It is an amazing and beautiful world.
Island Trek
The FSM offers an amazingly diverse range of natural ecosystems, from the world’s lowest elevation cloud forests, tropical rain forests, agro-forests, freshwater “Redwood” wetlands, giant taro swamps, large and varied mangrove tracts, to some of the world’s most pristine coral reefs, sea-grass meadows and estuaries and lagoons.
Local guides can take you through a unique island adventure through one or several of these equatorial wonders in a single day due to the relatively compacted nature of these ecosystems, from waterfall to reef. Trails, such as the ancient stone walking paths of Yap, are readily accessible. Awesome mountain vistas to the cavernous bowels of ancient banyan trees await. The lack of any predatory animals, or of snakes, allows the whole family to enjoy these activities on land.
Due to the nearly constant presence of both sun and rain, the shimmering greenery and foliage of the islands in FSM are unsurpassed. It is truly vibrant and alive. You have to see it to believe the actual splendor of the Caroline Islands.
Note: Many trails, lands, beaches and reef areas are private. When entering these areas, please follow the designation of a local guide.
Bird and Flora watching
The islands are blessed with many indigenous bird species: the nightingale reed-warbler, the Truk monarch, the blue-faced parrot finch, the Pohnpei Lori, the Kosrae greater white-eye, to name just a few.
The island of Chuuk in particular has become a mecca for the bird-watching enthusiast. In addition, each of the FSM States hosts indigenous and extremely rare flying fox (fruit bats) populations. Guides can bring the intrepid visitor to flying fox colonies where hundreds of bats sleep and congregate during the day, before this keystone species disperses across the islands at night.
A profusion of tropical shrubs, flowers and trees numbering more than six hundred species of higher plants are found in the FSM States. Hibiscus, Hong Kong orchid, ironwood, eucalyptus, Honduras mahogany, papaya, banana, coconut and plumeria trees can be found just about everywhere.
Note: Many trails, lands, beaches and reef areas are private. When entering these areas, please follow the designation of a local guide.
