Jun 2008
May 2008

New White Whale spotted in Australia...just amazing...you have to see the Photo of this Whale...

Fantastic Photo of a NEW White Whale from Down Under...

New White Whale spotted...

Courtesy By Alison Feeney-Hart
BBC News, Sydney

Migaloo has become something of a celebrity

A new white humpback has been sighted off Byron Bay on the east coast of Australia.
The newcomer, which was filmed by a television news helicopter, has excited marine scientists who think it may be related to Migaloo - to date, the only known all-white humpback whale.
Migaloo is somewhat of a celebrity down under. Why? "Because as far as we know, he is globally unique," said Professor Peter Harrison from the Whale Research Centre, Southern Cross University.
It now seems that Migaloo, (whose Aboriginal name means "white fellow") might have competition.

Although predominantly white, the new whale does have some black markings near its head and tail. So who is the newcomer?
A white calf was spotted with a normal humpback mother in Byron Bay two years ago. Experts say the new whale could be the offspring of Migaloo but further tests need to be carried out.
A record number of humpbacks have been spotted off the Australian coast this year on their annual migration north to their breeding grounds.
One thing scientists do agree on is that this second white whale has never been seen in these waters before...
more and the amazing photo @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7519263.stm

Major changes at palautours.com HOME PAGE...please contact us for all your advertising requirements

Alii from PalauTours.com


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PalauTours.com, a newly launched commercial website which aims to become the most comprehensive portal on the worldwide web for Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia. Our site is intended to be visually stunning, rich in up-to-date, accurate, and
informative content,and highly visible to all of the major search engines and web directories through our toplevel search engine marketing.
Our goal is simple; we intend to provide every business in Palau with affordable advertising and promotional opportunities to grow their businesses byshowcasing Palau as a world class tourist destination!
While PalauTours.com is only now being officially announced and launched, our technical team has working behind the scenes for quite some time to ensure our visibility across the web, as proven by our strong and rapidly growing site traffic.
PalauTours.com comes complete with a Blog feature that instantly delivers information updates, product announcements, news, current events and other promotional programs directly from our site participants to web viewer’s world wide. PalauTours.com cordially invites your to join our Palau marketing and promotional web campaignthrough a selection of our very affordable
advertisement opportunities. Please request for the Rate Sheet.
For further details and information, please email us at
admin@palautours.com or feel free
to contact us at:
Tel + 632-523-3179
Tel + 632-522-5232
We hope to hear from you soon!
Your Palau Tours Team

Photography possibilities and after the shoot workflow in Palau Micronesia...does Palau have sufficient Photo labs and Video processing facilities?

Please take note: palautours.com is undergoing a make up change...of course for the better...a slighly changed Home page is up soon, completed by mid next week.

T
he answer is a big YES, Palau in Micronesia has a lot to offer for Photographers and Videographers, plus a very cool Production House for major International Production.
Most of Palau’s Dive Centers cater for all your Photographic needs, Camera rentals with a wide choice of Housings, from small Digital Cameras to larger Video Cam’s with all the accessories.

Take
Roll ‘em Productions Palau, Inc. for example... the first film and video production company in the Republic of Palau. It boasts a 5000 square foot state of the art facility fully equipped to meet the highest quality audio and video production. They have been involved with productions like Survivor Series and Discovery Channel plus many others.
http://www.worldwalkabout.com/index.html

batfish,Gunther Deichmann, Palau, underwater,Photography,Digital Imaging
Photo © “Eye contact”
...dont leave Palau without this magic shot.

Splash Dive Center at the Palau Pacific Resort (http://www.splash-palau.com/eg/splashinfo/othertour.html)
Neco Marine (http://www.necomarine.com/facility.html)and FishnFins (http://fishnfins.com/Photo-Shop.html)have their own smaller production facilities and Camera rentals on site, eqipment is for rental or get yourself into the frame with a dive guide using the Video or Digital Camera.
At
Sam’s Tours (http://www.samstours.com/services-photocenter.html)you find the ultimate in Digital Imaging a complete set up with six iMac computers and processing software
like
Aperture and Photoshop Elements. They even back up all your CF Cards to their external hard drives, burn CD’s and DVD’s. plus there is Wi-Fi all around you and if you like transfer
all your images on to your iPod. Rental equipment is also available, small Video Cams and Digital Cameras with Housings, plus an on site Videographer.

I guess Palau has it pretty much covered and you have no problems dealing with all your Photographic requirements during your vacation below and above the waves.

Happy shooting, your Palau Tours Team

Science...the past of our ocean,Scientists say a fossil of a four-legged fish sheds new light on the process of evolution...

The image below is of a fossilized Ammonite (an ancient relative of today’s Nautilus) from the Jurassic period, the Nautilus can still be found in Palau Micronrsia today, one of the very few places in the world where Divers can encounter this real living fossil. For more information on Palau please visit our site @ http://www.palautours.com/

01 blog ammonite
A fossilized Ammonite from the Jurassic period
some 160 million years ago.

01 NAUTILUS

This photo of the Nautilus, (a close relative of the Ammonite)
was taken in Palau Micronesia.


Fossil fills out water-land leap

Courtesy By Matt McGrath
BBC science correspondent

Scientists say a fossil of a four-legged fish sheds new light on the process of evolution. The creature had a fish-like body but the head of an animal more suited to land than water.
The researchers' study, published in the journal Nature, says Ventastega curonica would have looked similar to a small alligator. Scientists say the 365-million-year-old species eventually became an evolutionary dead end.

Counting digits
About one hundred million years before dinosaurs began to roam the Earth, Ventastega was to be found in the shallow waters and tidal estuaries of modern day Latvia.

According to lead author, Professor Per Ahlberg, from Uppsala University, Sweden, this creature had the head of a tetrapod, an animal adapted to live on land. The body, though, was fish-like but with four primitive flippers.
"From a distance, it would have looked like an alligator. But closer up, you would have noticed a real tail fin at the back end, a gill flap at the side of the head; also lines of pores snaking across head and body.

"In terms of construction, it had already undergone most of the changes from fish towards land animal, but in terms of lifestyle you are still looking at an animal that is habitually aquatic."
Experts believe that Ventastega was an important staging post in the evolutionary journey that led creatures from the sea to the land. Scientists once believed that these early amphibious animals descended in a linear fashion, but this discovery instead confirms these creatures diversified into different branches along the way.

Professor Ahlberg points to the discovery of a fossil called Tiktaalik in Canada in 2004. It is believed to be the "missing link" in the gap between fish and land mammals. Ventastega is a later species but is a more primitive form of transition animal.
"Ventastega fills the gap between Tiktaalik and the earliest land based mammals. All these changes in these creatures are not going in lockstep; it's a mosaic with different parts of animal evolving at different rates. Ventastega has acquired some of land-animal characteristics, but has not yet got some of the other ones."

For instance, the creature had primitive feet - but with a high number of digits...read more & photos go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7473470.stm

Instead bringing children to some gory Shark Tournament...We should educate them that we have 'Only 50 years left' for sea fish' THINK NOW before it is to late.

Instead showing our children the gory Shark cadavers we should remind them if we keep going like this there be nothing left in our Oceans.
Educating in schools is a good start…but not the way it is conducted at the…
Disgusting Montauk Shark Tournament.
A message from
Palau Tours in support of DivePhotoGuide
"We Care About Our Environment"

NAPOLEON WRASSE10 02 NAPOLEON WRASSE10
© Gunther Deichmann - for more environment related images go to:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/environment.html


'Only 50 years left' for sea fish'

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website

Natural protection
There will be virtually nothing left to fish from the seas by the middle of the century if current trends continue, according to a major scientific study. Stocks have collapsed in nearly one-third of sea fisheries, and the rate of decline is accelerating.
Writing in the journal Science, the international team of researchers says fishery decline is closely tied to a broader loss of marine biodiversity.
But a greater use of protected areas could safeguard existing stocks. "The way we use the oceans is that we hope and assume there will always be another species to exploit after we've completely gone through the last one," said research leader Boris Worm, from Dalhousie University in Canada.

This century is the last century of wild seafood
Steve Palumbi
Should fish be off the menu?
Send us your comments "What we're highlighting is there is a finite number of stocks; we have gone through one-third, and we are going to get through the rest," he told the BBC News website.

Steve Palumbi, from Stanford University in California, one of the other scientists on the project, added: "Unless we fundamentally change the way we manage all the ocean species together, as working ecosystems, then this century is the last century of wild seafood."

Spanning the seas
This is a vast piece of research, incorporating scientists from many institutions in Europe and the Americas, and drawing on four distinctly different kinds of data.
For the complete article go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6108414.stm



Palau and Micronesia…things you should know...

The region known as Micronesia, meaning tiny islands, is in fact a vast areathat includes over eight nation-states and thousands of islands ranging from uninhabited atolls to overcrowded coral outcrops. Stretching from the Marshall Islands just west of Hawaii to the Caroline Islands east of the Philippines, and from the Marianas Islands to the north and Gilbert Islands to the south, Micronesia has less combined land area than the smallest state in the United States, yet more ocean area than the entire mainland USA. Located north of the equator, Micronesia sits on the fringes of the epicentre of marine biodiversity, making it a tropical diving paradise second to none. For scuba divers, the islands of Palau (or Belau), an independent republic since1994, and the island states of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae, which make up the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) are of the greatest interest. From the magnificent mantas of Yap, to the fascinating WWII wrecks of Truk Lagoon (Chuuk) to the schooling sharks of Palau’s renowned Blue Corner, Micronesia ranks among the world’s top high-voltage dive destinations.

AcrobatScreenSnapz002
Aerial view of pinchers lagoon, a favorite spot for dive training
due to its shallow waters.
(excerpts from Fins Magazine)

:: PALAU ::
Palau was first brought to world attention when Captain Henry Wilson of the English vessel “Antelope” was
shipwrecked on Palau’s barrier reef near the island of Ulong in 1783. With assistance from Koror’s High Chief
Ibedul, Captain Wilson and his crew used wreckage of the Antelope to build another vessel and sailed away three
months later. Joining them on their journey back to England was Lebuu, son of the high chief. Word of Captain Wilson’s voyage spread, leading to further European contact, and in 1885, Spain was granted control of Palau by Pope Leo XIII. In 1899, Palau was sold by Spain to Germany, which quickly established mining and other operations to tap Palau’s abundant natural resources. Following Germany’s defeat in World War I, Palau was granted to the Japanese under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, and by 1922, it had become the administrative headquarters for Japanese-controlled territories in Micronesia and the South Pacific. Japan closed off Palau (and other areas in Micronesia) from the rest of the world and began heavy fortification of the islands. Palau endured heavy fighting during World War II, including massive aerial bombardments of Koror, particularly during the assault of Peleliu Island by US Marines that resulted in horrendous casualties on both sides. Remnants of WWII
are still visible throughout Palau today, including many ship and plane wrecks resting at the bottom of Palau’s
inner lagoon. On 1 October 1994, Palau became the last of the UN Trust Territory islands to gain independence, following the signing of a Compact of Free Association with the United States, and it became a member of the United Nations.

AcrobatScreenSnapz006
Exploring, kayaking and spectacular diving in Palau
(excerpts from Fins Magazine)


Palau is located at the crossroads of the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea, which is one of the world’s richest
zones of tropical marine biodiversity. This makes Palau a world-class scuba diving destination that few places on
the globe can rival. Palau’s marine ecosystems include barrier reefs, fringing reefs, seagrass beds, marine lakes and mangrove forests. Palau’s marine biodiversity includes over 1,300 species of fish, an abundance of large pelagic animals and over 700 species of corals. Palau was chosen by the National Geographic Society as the
first Underwater Wonder of the World and was featured on Discovery Channel’s “Living Edens” series. It is home to one of the highest number of marine species in the world, and its marine habitats support an enormous density of coral, fish and other invertebrates. Seven of the nine species of giant
Tridacna clams are found in Palau, along with the world’s most remote population of dugongs. Palau’s signature dive is Blue Corner, a shallow reef-top promontory with vivid corals, huge schools of fish and ever-present schools of patrolling sharks.Without a doubt, Blue Corner consistently lives up to its reputation for “adrenaline diving” and is a dive that can be repeated time and again without fear of boredom!

In our next few blogs we introduce you to Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei...plus a lot more.

Sport Fishing in Palau Micronesia...from Big jacks, Spanish mackerel & gigantic Marlin...

Fishing in Palau is yet another treat. Be it light tackle or deep-sea fishing, Palau's turquoise waters have it all. Big jacks, Spanish mackerel, or the ultimate game fish, gigantic Marlin are all found here. Palauan men take great pride in their fishing skills and there's much to be learned from their vast experience, so it's best to hook up with one of the organized fishing tours or to charter a boat with seasoned crew members from any of the boat operators.

01 fishing-top

A variety of traditional conservation methods are still observed ensuring healthy fish populations. There are also formal restrictions such as the Koror State Rangers' annual enforcement of no fishing between April 1 and July 31 in Ngerumekaol, and no fishing at any time within one mile of Ngemelis Island...read more @
http://www.palautours.com/tour-fishing.html

Welcome to PALAU...by palautours.com, Visit Palau and explore this Nature Paradise below and above the waves...



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To get you excited about Palau we have decided to bring you this little slide show direct on our blog, sit back and enjoy.
For more images please visit our Photo Gallery @http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html

ROCK ISLAND TOURS for more detailed info please go to: http://www.palautours.com/tours.html

Among the most popular tours is the exploration of the awe-inspiring Rock Islands, with its stunning topography and the wide variety of action to be experienced.

Dive shop activities such scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking tours as well as sailing, water skiing and banana boat rides, the latter especially fun for kids, are all available. With two atolls to the north and a fringing reef surrounding the main island, encounters with exotic marine life and kaleidoscopic coral formations are not uncommon.

The white sand beaches, which mostly slope very gently into shallow water, are a joy for all age groups, accommodating everyone from novice swimmers to experts. Another exciting diversion is fishing, with its unique catch-and-release fishing technique an environmentally friendly alternative.