diving in - 2D attitude

•
Guam, USA
Gateway to
1-Pati Point
11- The Crevice
2-The Pinnacle
12- Shark Pit
3- Double Reef
13- Hap's Reef
4- Tanguisson Beach 14- Gaan Point
5- Gun Beach
15- Facpl Point
6-Tumon Bay
16- Toguan Bay
7- Hospital Point
17- Cocos Wall
B- Blue & White
1B-lnaraJan Bay
9- Apra Harbor
(see page 20)
10- Blue Hole
19- Talofofo Bay
20- Vilg Bay
21- Pagat Point
DIVING IN
A Look at the Underwater Treasures
in the Us. Territory
of Guam in Micronesia
• •
WWW. VISI tguam.
org
Diving ln Guam
Emergency Info
South
Blue Hole
Dolphins
Central
Fishes
Apra Harbor
Shipwrecks
North
Critters
Highlights
About Guam
Dive Operators
4
7
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
26
28
30
32
Above: Grouper and Lionlish, LeI!: Umalac Zero
Fighler. P.3: Anemone al GabGab Reel
Ali rights reserved by the Guam Visitors Bureau.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in
any form or transmitted by any means, to include
electronic and broadcast, without the written
permission of the GVB, the publisher. Ali Tim Rock
photos are protected under international copyright
of TlM ROCK/Double Blue Images. Text & photos,
other than the front cover, by Tim Rock.
2
he island of Guam was once considered by locals to be one of the
world's best kept diving secrets. But
more and more people are now discovering the incredible variety found in
this undersea paradise.
As a U.S. Territory, Guam has long
been a popular destination for Asian
T
superb support system of dive shops
and guest facilities puts Guam at the
top of the list for scuba buffs.
Most tourist divers to Guam will want
to visit the World War Il shipwrecks,
historie sunken remnants now festooned in coral and inhabited by
shoals of fishes. The unique Guam
novelty dives like the undersea cave
Blue Hole or the fan-covered chasm
The Crevice are known for their water
clarity.
Boat diving is probably the easiest
way to approach the reefs and there is
a higher likelihood of seeing unique
fish and sea creatures at the outer
reef sites. At a few sites fish feeding
hasbecome a practice and swarms of
tiny tropicals greet the divers. On
Guam's deep reefs, look for the wilder
side with sea turtles, dogtooth tuna
and eagle rays commonly seen.
The Apra Harbor is usually well-protected from weather elements, so
tourists. A plethora of hotel, restaurant
and entertainment venues, combined
with numerous frequent flights in and
out, now makes Guam the most
diverse and convenient Pacifie Island
in the Micronesian region.
Just as the sunny Caribbean draws
people from the U.S., Guam's proximity and sandy beaches create a magnet for Asian divers. The consistently
warm and clear waters, great varieties
of fish and other marine life and a
4
hose used to organized diving will feel at home on the
Guam tourist boats as divemasters are present and
groups are usually kept to 4 to
6 per divemaster. Guam diving
can easily become a cross-cultural experience as divers from
many countries come aboard
to see the reefs.
There are a number of divemasters and instructors who
work with the local shops to
provide service on a one-toone basis. Instruction at ail levels from SNUBA and introductory
dives through master scuba instructor
can be found
here, with many
useful specialties
easily obtained
during your visit.
If you have
specifie sites in
mind or want to
T
even if the outer reefs can't be
reached, many harbor dives are available. The harbor dives are ail on hard
coral reefs or shipwrecks and offer
vast marine variety. Invertebrate life is
especially diverse in the harbor.
The outer reefs have great range
from deep dropoffs to coral heads and
sandy flats of garden eels. They are
homes to a wide variety of fish, sea
anemones and hard and soft corals.
Technical Diving Makes a Splash
echnica' diving has brought new innovations to
the diving world, allowing divers to explore
deeper, stay down longer and use special diving
techniques. Guam is one of the finest sites in the
Pacifie for technical divers to hone their skills. The
ciear waters, deep dropoffs, numerous shipwrecks
and availability of gases makes it the perfect venue
for new tekkies and those learning the advanced
techniques of deep water exploration.
Technical diving for the basic scuba enthusiast
us.ually entails the use of Nitrox, which is a higher mix of oxygen in the scuba tank.
Normally, only air is used in diving, but Nitrox allows divers to extend botlom time. It also
helps disperse accûmulated nitrogen from the blood, allowing divers to feel fresher at
the end of a day's diving. Other levels of tech diving extend from there to include the use
of rebreathers and TriMix gases.
Many types of training can be found on Guam to get the diver into this new realm.
Tech equipment is readily available at Guam's best equipped dive shops.
T
~~
6
keep your group
small , ask the
local shops about
a private charter.
The larger charter boats also
offer early morning single tank
dives and afternoon/evening dives that include on
deck bar-b-ques and a night dive. Night
diving on Guarn is very good as a lot of
unusual invertebrates hide in the hard
corals du ring the day and come out
at night.
Guam's well-stocked dive shops offer
top name brands at very competitive
priees. Equipment repair is available for
most brands of dive equipment. For
those traveling light, rentai gear is also
easily obtained.
For photographers, Guam has a professional camera store carrying the latest equipment and many fine processing outlets including E-6 processing and
mounting.
Many shops can arrange packages
that include hotels, transfers and diving.
On page 32 of this book, find the contact information for Guarn's dive retailers. Most have websites, e-mail contacts and additional diving information
to help Vou plan your adventure.
EMERGENCY INFORMATION!!!
Medical
Guam is the regional
center of Micronesia for
diving related problems .
It has two fully-staffed
recompression chambers
run by the US Navy and two hospitals, one
military and one private . It also has a civilian facility with a recompression chamber.
It has two physicians highly trained in diving accidents and medicine .
Emergency Procedure: Cali 911 First,
Proceed to Nearest EMS Facillty
Emergency: 911
Guam Memorial Hospital:
850 Gov. Carlos Camacho Rd ., Tamuning,
GU 96911 , Tel : (1-671) 647-2330,
Fax: (1-671) 649-5508
Guam Recompression Chamber
(1-671 )-339-7143
Guam Diving Doctor
~D,AN'
(1-671)-637-1777
~
~
Local Numbers
Weather Information: 472-7397
Current Tide Information: 711
DAN
The emergency number for DAN in the
USA is 1-919-684-8111 or 1-919-6844326. In Australia cali : 618-8373-5312.
DAN (Worldwide Emergency Hotline)
(US) 1-919-684-4DAN (4326)
7
he southern
part of
Guam remains
largely rural and
undeveloped,
with tiny coastal
villages and
uninhabited
bays. Cocos
Island sits at the
far end of Guam and provides the
island with a southern barrier reef and
broad bay.
For divers, Cocos Wall is a sheer
drop with crimson sea whips and the
chance to see some big pelagies. Up
the coast, Toguan Bay is popular for
its swim-throughs and easy entry.
Spinner dolphins stay in this area and
can be se en frolicking in the mornings
and heading out to sea at night to hunt
for prey.
The Agat Bay area is full of sites for
divers. Agat Beach was a landing area
for the WWII U.S. invasion of Guam
and war
remnants
like a
sun ken
Amtrac can be
found along this
coast.
Hap's Reet is
a great place to
watch fish and
look at the huge
coral formations
in the bay.
Those who
like coral and
fishes will also
go for the Coral
Gardens located near the
Agat Marina.
The Shark Pit
is a favorite of junk divers. This old
military dump site has everything from
mess hall utensils to old war tanks and
trucks dumped long ago along a sheer
pinnacle. Swarms of pyramid butterflyfish now live at this site.
Because the bay fronts the open
sea, deep dropoffs provide the chance
to see some pelagie creatures including sharks, pilot whales and sailfish.
Rays such as mantas and eagles are
also found. Night dives here are colorfui and full of surprises.
T
.'
Guam Diving Factoid: One af the warld's richest
shipwrecks, the Manila gallean Nuestra Senara
dei Pilar, sits aff Cacas Island in sauthern Guam.
But its treasures have eluded salvars far aver a
decade naw. The ship is reparted ta have a carga
af silver and gald warth millians af dallars.
8
he Blue !:Iole is one of the island's
finest novelty dives. Located toward
the tip of the Orote Peninsula on the
southern coast, the hole can usually be
seen 60 feet down from the surface as
the water is normally quite clear. It is a
popular spot, usually visited daily, and
has been the site of everything from
weddings and military re-enlistments.
It is basically a long, perpendicular
shaft that starts at the top of a sloping
reef fiat in about 60 feet of water. The
shaft itself extends down to about 300
feet, but at 130 feet a large window
opens tnthe outer wall, allowing the
diver to exit and ascend after a free fall
through the shaft.
As the Blue
Hole faces the
open ocean, it is
not unusual to
see large fish
here like barracuda and dogtooth tuna. Eagle rays
and a whale shark have been seen
gliding along the reef top and, on occasion, dolphins and pilot whales join
boats traveling to the hole.
This, and the nearby Crevice, are
sites most visiting divers like to have as
a log entry. When the current is right, a
drift dive between the two sites can
easily be made.
A popular site for fishwatchers is
Barracuda Rock, located
between the hole and
crevice. A small cave, swimthrough and large boulders
are found here.
T
Guam Diving Factoid:
At night, get ready for a
natural show. The rare
flashlight fish cames up from the
depths at the Blue Hale. It
illumina tes a sac under its eyes
biochemically and sends flickers of
light into the black water. When
active, the busy school
resembles fireflies.
:
10
uam's coastal waters are the
home of pods of dolphins called
spinners who use the island's shallow
bays for a number of reasons. Lucky
locals have even established a rapport
with the animais and have had regular
snorkeling sessions with them in the
southern end of the island.
The spinner dolphins cruise at
speeds between 5 to 7 miles an hour,
with a maximum speed of up to 22
mph. So, if the dolphins slow down
long enough to play with you, it is
because they want to.
It is this fact, among others, that
make a dolphin encounter on Guam a
special experience.
Unlike some Caribbean destinations,
there are no trained dolphins on Guam
to swim with . Ali dolphin encounters
are inthe-wild
happenings.
ln the
winter,
and
spring
months, Pacifie spinner dolphins
(stinella longirostris) come in to Guam's
calm bays.
They are easily identified as they
have slender bodies
and a long
thin snout
or beak.
Daily boat
tours to
see the
dolphins
are offered
by Guam
tour companies.
G
12
The Marine Preserves
A
series 01 marine pre-
but divers can still enjoy
serves to promote the
these waters to explore
prosperity 01 lish and
and take photos.
marine lile have been
established recently on
To promote diving and
conservation, mooring
buoys have also been
Guam .
These incubation areas
established at popular
prohibit most lorms 01 har-
dive sites to protect the
vesting 01 marine animais
reel Irom anchor damage.
13
c
ocean. Skipjacks, tuna and swirling ,shoals
of baitfish can be seen.Sea fans adorn
the deep reef. Though ,not common,
humpbackwhales have been seen seeking protection in the lee of these cliffs as
they migrate throughthe area.
By far the best known site is Guam's
popular tourist area, Tumon Bay, with
broad, sandy beaches and lots to do.
Tumon Bay is the ideal place for the
fishwatcher to ply his or her trade as it is
an outdoor aquarium with a nice variety of
undersea attractions.
Within these azure waters includes shallow reef flats, patch coral; coral thickets
and bright, white sand flats. Probably the
most popular SNUBA or snorkeling site is
at the bay's southern end at Ypao Beach.
This is one of the deeper areas within
Tumon as itwas purposely dredged for
swimming and snorkelirig. A lifeguard is
on duty here daily.
At the northern
end, Gun Beach,
with a WWII shoregun, and Two
Lover's Point reef
are also great dive
sites.
uam's central coastline is calmest on
the west side. While this area is highIy developed for tourism, some dive sites
are surprisingly alive with fish action and
stunning corals .
The dives along the cliffline called
Hospital Point offer exposure to the open
G
I ~
Guam Diving Factoid: There are sorne tiny sea shells that
were tirst diseovered on Guam. One partieular shell is the
Favartia Guamensis. These shells are tound on the coral reets
but are quite small and so they are rarely seen by divers.
15
uam is the richest and
most diverse coral reef
area of any US locale. The
marine flora and fauna of
Guam include about 300
species of scleractinian
corals, 220 species of benthic marine algae, and 950
species of coral reef fishes
that inhabit these incredible
and often overlooked reefs .
By comparison this is
roughly four times what is
found in the Caribbean and
twice that of Hawaiian
waters. The diver is doing
him or herself a favor to
take some time to check
out the
diversity
and intense
growth
competition
one finds
G
on the healthy reefs. There
are many fine books out to
describe the Guam fishes
so divers can easily get aJ'l
idea of the unusual fish
they are seeing.
Diving hard corals
requires a keen eye as fish
and invertebrates use the
nooks, crannies and other
protective spaces as
homes and refuges. A great
variety of fish, many in colorful juvenile form, hide in
the reef, so dive slowly and
look for them in their hiding
places.
16
Left: Dragon Wrasse, Emperor
Angelfish. Above: Regal Angelfish.
Right: Manta Ray, Trumpetfish,
Threadfin Butterflyfish, Lionfish,
Scribbled Pipefish, Spotted Emperor.
Center: Raccoon Butterflyfish
From far left: Masked Bannerfish,
Striped Squirrelfish, Spotted Goby,
Moorish Idol, Soldierfish, Striped
Barracuda, Goatfish, Scrawled
Wrasse, Lined Puffer, One-stripe
Clownfish, Grey Reef Shark.
17
pra Harbor is one of the main
A watersports
areas on the island,
with diving playing a heavy role in these
activities. The harbor is blessed with
numerous and diverse coral reefs. Add
to that the fact that there are many
WWII remnants found in these waters,
and the numbers
of sites to see
become almost
endless.
One popular
site is Western
Shoals. It provides divers with
the opportunity to
experience
Guam's coral world in an environ ment
accessible to divers most of the year.
This reef is a honeycombed combination of branching and plating corals, a
variety of sponges, and provides shelter for Pacifie reef fish common to
Guam.
What is different about Western
Shoals is the fact that many of the
sponges are quite large in comparison
to those found on the outer reefs. An
I~
occasional sea turtle has been seen
streaking a diver here.
GabGab Reet is accessible by water
and by the Navy beaches. l1's deep
coral si opes and shelves house lots of
different invertebrates. Farther west,
Fingers Reet is a popular fish feeding
site. This offers scuba buffs a chance to
get closer to the reef's in habitants and
gives underwater photographers subjects that aren't timid.
Staghorn coral covers many areas of
the reeftop around Dry Dock Reet and
the DogLeg Reet to the north. Look for
healthy coral and even an occasional
hammerhead shark at the harbor mouth
at Hidden Reet.
There are many more patch reefs
with giant sponges and schooling
fusiliers and other attractions ail around
the harbor.
Guam Diving Factoid: It's like diving K2!
Guam is the tip of one of the highest
mountains in the world. The Marianas
Trench, the world's deepest ocean site,
lies just 50 miles southeast of Guam.
19
'1
1
1
1
G
uam has a number of diveable
shipwrecks and airplanes that
were sunk during the battles of World
War II. Guam was a major invasion site
for American forces retaking the island.
On December 10,1941 , Guam surrendered to the Japanese South Seas
detachment forces after a valiant defensive struggle by the island's Insular
Force Guard. For 31 difficult months,
the people of Guam were subjects of
Japan. Guam was renamed 'Omiya
Jima' or Great Shrine Island.
Control of the island was eventually
transferred to the Japanese Navy in
1942. On July 21,
1944, known locally
as Liberation Day,
American forces
landed on Guam;
three weeks of bitter
warfare claimed thousands of Chamorro,
American, and
Japanese lives before the island was
declared safe and once again under
American rule. The island's strategic
position was quickly recognized by the
American military and was used as a
cammand post for U.S. Western Pacific
operations until the conclusion of the
war on September 2, 1945.
20
The island was shelled heavily for
weeks during the retaking . Air battles
grounded Japanese planes and then
invasion troops stormed much of the
southern and central western coasts.
There are more than 70 identified rem -
Above: Kitsugawa Maru gun emplacement.
Lei!: Anemone crab. Ali others, Tokai Maru .
APRA HARBOR DIVE SITES ~
1- Pltl Channel
2- Dry Dock Reel
3- Western Shoals
4- Kltsugawa Maru
5-TokaVCormoran
6- Dogleg Reet
7- Amerlcan Tanker
8- SeaBee Junkyard
9- Blue & White
10- Hidden Reet
11- Flngers Reel
12- GabGab Reel
D
nants of
those battles, from
bullets to
bombs to
intact freight
ships still
found today
in the waters
of Apra
Harbor
alone. There
are more on
the outer
reefs of the island.
And on a non-diving day, these remnants also exist in some places in the
hills and jungles. The bombs are at
times found during construction projects and by unsuspecting, and often
alarmed, bulldozer operators.
Just east of the green marker buoy
nearest the old seaplane ramp on the
Breakwater side of the harbor sits the
Tokai Maru. It is a Japanese freighter
sunk by a submarine torpedo attack
during World War II. Oddly enough, it
rests on another ship, the Cormoran,
which was scuttled during World War 1.
Thus, two victims of two different world
wars rest touching in the harbor.
The Tokai is by far the more popular
of the two as it is shallow enough to
overswim in one dive. This ship sits at a
list. The bridge area is quite open.
Inside there's the old wash area with a
tiled floor and sink. The shafts of light
coming through the doorways and
beams make a nice scene. The bow
area has black and orange rope
sponges growing along the rail and
drain areas. The Tokai was a big
freighter. It is about 500 feet long.
Another Japanese ship lies nearby in
Guam Diving Factoid: The Tokai
MarulCormoran dive site in Apra Harbor
: represents the only place in the world
where sunken ships from two different
world wars sit touching.
22
ë:==__
SOleel
Tokai Maru - Cormoran
Shipwrecks
Depth to top of Tokai - 42 feet
Depth to top of Cormoran - 70 feet
deeper
water. The
Kitsugawa
Maru. Its
stern is
mangled.
Air strike
records indicate six definite hits midships. The mast is full of tubastrea
corals and make a spectacular sight on
a night dive. Some of the lines leading
to the upper structures are still intact
also.
Most divers like to visit the bowgun,
which has
managed to
elude salvors
ail of these
years. The
ammunition in
the boxes in back of the gun is live.
Don't touch .
Other dives include the American
Tanker, the bulldozers and a small
coastal freighter at the SeaBee
Junkyard and the rarely dived Nichiyu
Maru. There are also small planes in
these waters.
Kitsugawa Maru Shipwreck
Depth to top of Kitsugawa - 65 feet
Ali Sketches courlesy U.S. Nat'I Pa rk SelVice
. seRU team • Guam
23
THE NORTH
', .
unusual coral growth along the Pati
Point area.
The reefs have a lot of variety, interspersed with fingerlike sand flats. When
seen from the air, the deep blue of the
outer dropoff quickly blends into the
various shades of turquoise for an
extremely colorful picture.
Double Reef offers good spots for
anchoring in the protected water behind
the outer reef. There are large sand pits
in about 30 feet of water. The surrounding coral is thick and Napoleon wrasse
can be found. And, look for the resident
school of dolphins.
he ride up north past Guam's centrai cliffline and along it's sandiest
beaches to popular sites like Double
Reet is sometimes as much fun as the
diving when
one gets there.
A typical trip
would have
divers leaving
the Boat Basin
in the morning
with some fishing equipment
as weil as dive
gear. Trolling for skipjack, or mahimahi
in season, is a fun practice while heading north. A smaller boat can also go in
close for crevai le jacks that are known
to forage along these reefs. Normally,
schools of tuna are seen at some point
during the ride.
The Double Reef area and the sites
around Guam's tip aren't always as
accessible as the more protected
southern sites due to weather and
wind. But most of the time, they-offer a
look at rich fish life,
sea turtles, schooling shoals of jacks
and barracuda at
the deep water site
The Pinnacle.
There is also
T
1
r
1
i
1
Guam Factoid: Using hand-hewn
ocean-going canoes, sai/ors trom
Yap came to northern Guam to
quarry unique Yapese stone money.
24
ITTE
ore th an 1400
species of mollusks
have been identified in
the waters around
Guam so far. And annually, scientists and even
local amateur biologists
continue to find creatures both unique to
Guam and Micronesia.
Some new discoveries include deepwater microscopie invertebrates being
found in waters 300 feet deep by technical divers in the volcanic lava caves.
For the vis;tor, the invertebrate life
may be the rr .ost attractive and colorful
of the island's marine creatures. A wide
M
26
range of nudibranchs
can be seen on the
reefs. Coral crabs,
shrimps and squat
lobsters inhabit the
corals and other
hosts.
Sea anemones are the home of
crabs, shrimps and a diverse range of
anemonefish. They range from tiny mat
anemones with beautiful purple ne matocysts to large, flowing carpet
anemones that host families of bright,
orange clownfish .
Sea worms like the feather duster and
Christmas tree worms are in great variet y and color and can even be
observed spawning.
Night dives are
especially good times
to find creatures like
hermit anemone crabs
as they wander for
food in the dark.
here areas
described in this
book just touch the
surface of diving in
Guam. We have listed some of the more
popular or unique
sites, but there are weil over 150 dive
sites on Guam that divers visit with
some regularity. Each offer a chance to
experience the richne ;s of these Pacific
T
coral reefs and submerged historical
resources.
uam's attraction to the diver is it's
great range of things to do on
scuba. From the novice to the experienced professional, the seas here offer
diving in an environment where there
are al ways surprises.
If planning a dive vacation to Guam,
one must include a trip to the outer
reefs, a visit to some of the harbor
G
UOG Marine Lab
The UOG Marine Lab is one of the
world's leaders in coral reef research and
aquaculture. The University of Guam
Marine Laboratory is unique among the
U.S. marine laboratories with modern
facilities within this rich biogeographical
province.
The University of Guam (UOG) offers a
Master of Science degree in Biology with
specialization in tropical marine biology.
This program is supported by the Marine
Laboratory and the Division of Natural
Sciences. The faculty of the Marine .
Laboratory supports this program by
teaching undergraduate- and graduate-Ievel courses, supervising thesis research, and
obtaining research grants and contracts. Many of the Research Assistantships provide students with invaluable opportunities for field experience in the western Pacifie. The University
of Guam is the premier institution of higher learning within Micronesia (including the
Commonwealth of the Marianas, the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and
Palau) , a region as large as the continental United States.
28
Ocean Spawns
Everything from coral to sea cucumbers
can be observed spawning on Guam .
The coral spawn may be the most spectacular, normally taking place after the
full moon in the month of July.
If the se as are calm, the corals are
more conducive mass spawns.
Researchers watch this annually to
study fertilization mechanisms and barriers, hybridization
and speciation events, recruitment of corals, and the effects
of water quality on reproductive and recruitment success.
Work with sea cucumbers is more applied, with the goal
being production of commercially valuable species to support an appropriate fishery for the Pacifie Islands.
sites and even a few beach dives if sea
conditions are right.
The local dive shops offer a great
variety of packages. Some have dives
being lead on the weekends by local
divemasters. Anyone is welcome to join
these "getting to know Guam" excursions.
Boat trips going both north and south
change venues each week and are
catered to the weather conditions and
experience level of the divers on board.
There is usually a night dive available
to folks wanting to see the ocean's
in habitants after dark.
And, there is dive instruction at ail
levels to include wreck diving, deep diving, reef specialties and certification
steps ail the way up to instructor trainer. PADI 5 Star facilities are found here
as weil as multi-lingual instructors and
technical diving gurus.
And another real plus, the variety of
equipment and equipment repair found
on island is second to nowhere else in
the Pacifie.
Take the time to explore the reefs of
Guam and the island attractions on
land by day and night. Guam is without
a doubt "diving's natural high"!
By the way, far thase wha dan't dive,
snarkel ar find themselves just passing
~ through, Guam has bath an undersea
. • abservatary and a warld class aquarium
where the fishes and critters faund in
these waters can be abserved and
identified by knawledgeable guides.
~
29
ABOUTGUAM
uam is the southernmost island in
G
the Mariana chain, 30 miles long
and nine miles at its widest. Still, it is
the largest island in Micronesia. The
undersea terrain features mainly sloping reefs. The southwest features a
broad bay. Steep walls along the c1ifflines and outer reef si opes fall quickly
into a blue abyss. The protected harbor
is full of patch reefs and shipwrecks
and is diveable virtually year 'round.
The economy is highly dependent
upon tourism (more th an 1,400,000 visitors per year).
Climate
Guam's climate holds little in the way of
surprises. It is uniformly warm and tropical ail year. Dry season and trade wind
season runs from late December to
May. June through September features
calm seas and little breeze with scat-
tered daily showers. Strong rains are
usually in October and November. The
windward or eastern side of Guam is
most accessible during the summer
months, as are the far offshore reefs.
The seas are normally glassy calm and
fiat. The western side of the island,
especially the Agat Bay and points
south , is normally protected most of the
year and good for diving. Visibility is
affected by runoff, so rainy season
months mean lower visibility. Tides do
not vary greatiy on Guam but visibility
ail over the island is best at high morning incoming tide.
Water here is tropical (average about
80 degrees F) and only a dive-skin is
normally necessary for warmth and protection from abrasions or stings.
Getting There
Getting to Guam is not a problem.
Major carriers serve Guam daily from
ail over the Asian region , Oceania and
the U.S. Distances by jet are approximately 3 hours from Tokyo, 3.5 hrs.
from Seoul, Manila and Taipei, 4 hrs.
from Hong Kong, 7 hrs. from Beijing, 8
hours from Sydney, 9 hrs. from Hawaii,
and 13 hrs. from Los Angeles and 14
hrs. from Frankfurt.
Guam's main carrier is Continental
Micronesia, a subsidiary of Continental
Airlines. International airline carriers
service Guam's new $50 million air terminai with connections to most major
cities .
Getting Around
, It is best to rent a car while visiting. Ali
of the major rentai agencies are here.
Bus services to the major shopping and
entertainment venues are free from the
Tumon area. Taxis, while expensive,
are also readily available.
Entry
A valid US passport is required to enter
Guam, even for US citizens. US citizens can stay as long as they want. Ali
non-US citizens require a US visa to
visit Guam. There is a liberal visa waiver program that allows for up to 15-day
(only) stays.
Check with the Guam Visitors
Bureau's website at www.visitguam.org
to see if your country participates.
Guam at a Glanee
Political Status:
Unincorporated U.S.
territory
location:
13.48 degrees North,
144.45 degrees East
Native Inhabitants: Chamorro
Country code:
1
Area Code:
671
Telex code:
721
Electricity:
120 volt/60 cycle
Hagatna
Capital:
land Area:
212 square miles
(549 square km)
Official languages: English & Chamorra
Time:
Greenwich Mean +10
Population:
Apprax. 145,000
Currency:
US Dollar
Between 75-86
Climate:
degrees Fahrenheit (26-30 C) averaging
81 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees c)
Seasons:
Dry between Jan . &
May; rainy season between Oct. & Dec.
Rainfall: Annual avg. 80 in . (2,509 mm)
Books on Guam Diving: lonely Planet
Diving & Snorkeling Guide to Guam & Yap,
MDA's Guam Dive Sites
Electricity
Electricity is 110/120 volts, 60 cycle
and the fiat, two-pronged plug is used,
same as in the USA.
Weights & Measures
The imperial system of measurement is
used, with inches, feet, yards, miles,
ounces, pounds, tons. Air on scuba
gauges is read in pounds and underwater depth is read in feet.
General Supplies
You can get anything on Guam as far
as basic living goes including camera
batteries,. some films, etc. Lightweight
clothing is available at ail clothing
stores. Bring only necessities like prescription medicines and items very specifie to your lifestyle.
What to Wear
Dress is normally casual and
islandwear is always acceptable, whatever the occasion. Light summer clothing is appropriate.
31
DIVE 0
E~
ORS,
Aqua Academy
P,O. Box 6144
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel : 1(671) 646-5551 • Fax: 1(671) 649-5578
[email protected]
Ocean Island Club
P.O. Box 10152
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1(671) 649-9070 • Fax: 1 (671) 649-9080
[email protected]
www.aqua-academy.com
www.oic-guam.com
DayDream Guam
P.O. Box 9338
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1(671) 472-7610' Fax: 1(671) 472-7610
[email protected]
www.daydream.to/guam
Papalagi Guam, Inc.
P.O. Box 11226
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1 (671) 649-3483 1 2355
Fax: 1 (671) 649-2359
[email protected]
Dive Guam, Ine
PIA Resort Hotel #106
270 Chichirica Street
Tumon, Guam 96913
Tel: 1(671) 647-0690' Fax: 1(671) 647-0802
[email protected]
Paradise Aqua Corporation
P.O. Box 5048
Hagatna, Guam 96932
Tel: 1(671) 646-6911 'Fax: 1(671) 646-6912
[email protected]. jp
www.p-aqua.co.jp
www.coraldive.com/guam
Rainbow Dolphin & Diving
P.O. Box 10417
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1(671) 646-6743
Fax: 1 (671) 646-6743
[email protected]
Gently Blue
Holiday Plaza #2103
1000 Pale San Vitores Rd.
Tumon, Guam 96913
Tel: 1(671) 646·0838 • Fax: 1 (671) 649-0833
[email protected]
www.guamrainbow.com
Guam Tropical Dive Station
P,O. Box 1649
Hagatna, Guam 96932
Tel : 1(671) 477-2774' Fax: 1(671) 477-2775
[email protected]
www.gtds.com
Real World Diving Company/
SNUBA Tours of Guam
P.O. Box 2800
Hagatna, Guam 96932
Tel: 1(671) 646-8903
Fax: 1(671) 646-4957
[email protected]
/
www.rwdiving.com
Let's Dive Guam
P.O. Box 1039
Hagatna, Guam 96932
Tel: 1 (671) 649-5926
[email protected]
Scuba Company
P.O. Box 11901
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1 (671) 649-3369
Fax: 1 (671) 649-3370
[email protected]
www.letsdiveguam.com
MIC Guam LLC
P.O. Box 2776
Hagatna, Guam 96932
Tel: 1(671) 471-3642' Fax: 1(671) 471-3643
[email protected]
www.mic21.comlbuddynndex
Scuba Dive Micronesia /
Coconut Paradise Club Guam
P.O. Box 11198
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1(671) 649-7748' Fax: 1(671) 646-4661
[email protected]
Micronesian Divers Association
856 North Marine Drive
Piti, Guam 96915
Tel: 1 (671) 472-6321 125
Fax: 1(671) 477-6329
[email protected]
Businesses listed are current GVB
Members as 01 November 28, 2005.
(Reprint 2006)
www.mdaguam.com
GDIA
MSTK Corporation (Sapphire)
P,O. Box 9338
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1(671) 472-7610' Fax: 1(671) 472-7610
[email protected]
Guam Diving Industry Association
275 C Farenholt Ave. Suite 163
Tamuning, Guam 96931
Tel: 1(671) 477-2774 Fax: 1(671) 477-2775
32
\
Learn More About Diving on Guam
Guam Visitors Bureau
Setbision Bisitan Guahan .
401 Pale San Vitores Road
Tumon, Guam 96911 USA
Tel: {1-671}646-5278
Fax: (1-671) 646-8861
Visit us at http://www.visitguam.org
The information provided in this book let is published in good faith and based on
bona fide information. Please verity ail information on your arrivai to ensure a safe
and pleasurable dive trip. The Guam Visitors Bureau accepts no responsibility for
any loss, inconvenience or injury sustained by any person using this booklet.