Lush vegetation and simple living punctuate the lives of the lagoon. Fishing, weaving and tending garden sustain most of the people that live on their individual islands. It is not unusual to see women waist deep in the mangroves hunting for a special delicacy or men walking the reefs at night looking for baby octopus.

Boat makers create vessels high in the hills of the inner islands and take them down to sea when finished. Open hearth fires are still used to cook the daily meals.

Life here is close to nature and lived in conjunction with the land and the sea. Local carvers are also famous for using beautiful local woods to carve warrior masks, busts and the Chuukese love stick, which is part of a legendary practice of courtship unique to this island group.

Chuuk is a Mecca for wreck divers. A major shipwreck site from WWII, Chuuk Lagoon is unquestionably the world's best shipwreck diving destination.