LATE NEWS...PALAU TOURS.COM in YouTube
Palau Tours very first
YouTube
appearance...check out this small slideshow...a lot
more in the coming weeks on YouTube and Palau
Tours...stay tuned or subscribe.
For more Photos on Palau please visit our PhotoGalery
@ http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L_Ll7gVg6k
Palau Micronesia one of the TOP 10 Dive Destinations quoted by Forbes Traveler in 2007
Blue Corner, Palau, Micronesia
Forbes Traveler
Blue Corner, Palau, teems with all manner of sea life—from turtles to barracudas and sharks. There are WWII wrecks, too. The current is fairly strong here, and most divers use a reef hook so you can "just kinda hang out and watch the action in front of you," says Tom Morrisey. "If you're lucky you'll see lots of sharks feeding naturally right in front of you… a lot people call it the best dive in the world." The best time to dive Palau is from October to early June.”
Sharks Swimming into trouble...an environment message...protect our OCEAN & Natural Resources...
With sufficient public support and resulting political will,
we can turn the tide.
Nicholas Dulvy, SSG
Sharks swim closer to extinction
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
Sharks Swimming into trouble...
an Environmental message from
palautours.com
Protect our OCEAN & Natural Resources
© Gunther Deichmann - Blue Corner Palau, Micronesia.
"How much longer can we and our Children enjoy these
amazing creatures?"
More than half of the world's ocean-going sharks are at risk of extinction, a new analysis concludes.
Specialists with IUCN (formerly the World Conservation Union) found that 11 species are on the high-risk list, with five more showing signs of decline.
Sharks are particularly affected by over-fishing as they reproduce slowly.
The scientists are calling for global catch limits, an end to the practice of removing fins, and measures to minimize incidental catches (by-catch).
"There's this idea that because these are widely ranging species, they're more resilient to fishing pressure," said Sonja Fordham, deputy chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG) and policy director for the Shark Alliance conservation group.
"In fact they're becoming species of serious concern because there are no international catch limits for sharks. There are intense fisheries on the oceans, and they remain pretty much unprotected."
New threats
The SSG assessed data on the 21 species of sharks and their close cousins, the rays, that swim in upper portions of the open ocean where they are exposed to fishing fleets.
Of the 21, one - the giant devilray - is assessed as Endangered, and 10 are Vulnerable.
A further five are listed as Near Threatened, which means the signs of decline are not serious enough yet to merit a full listing...
please read the whole article with photos @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7413948.stm
Traveling to PALAU MICRONESIA not only for its fantastic DIVING, Palau has a lot more to offer its beauty will even surprise the most seasonal TRAVELER, Visit the PEARLS of the Pacific
Furthermore we have updated our main site with more nice photos and filled in some missing text...
How You get to Palau? Where is Palau?
Very easy with the Filipino Travel Center in Manila
We like to introduce you today to one of our first Travel Agencies…Filipino Travel.
http://www.filipinotravel.com.ph/
They have years of experience and could help you also to spend some extra days in the Philippines if you arrive from abroad and like to continue to Palau Micronesia, click on the link for more information.
If you living in the Philippines go and see them and you find they can make all your travel arrangements to and from Palau plus a lot more.
Traveling to PALAU & to all other destinations in MICRONESIA from the Philippines has just become a lot easier.
For all other info we have also added the Palau Visitors Authority PVA as a permanent link.
http://www.visit-palau.com/
Late NEWS! Did YOU Know? Flying fish from JAPAN a new reccord...gliding over the ocean
Did YOU Know? Fast flying fish glides by ferry
Courtesy of BBC
Click the screenshot or this link
to watch the video:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7410421.stm
The
flying fish takes to the air...watch the video
@ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7410421.stm
Some remarkable footage of a flying fish has been
captured by a TV crew filming off the southern tip of
Japan. It is claimed to be one of the longest
recorded flights of this acrobatic animal.
The fish was completely airborne for 45 seconds. This
beats one previous, impressive report from an
American researcher in the 1920s of 42 seconds. The
animal is seen travelling parallel to a ferry, which
itself is motoring at about 30km/hour (20mph).
The fish was able to continue flying by occasionally
beating the surface of the water with its tail fin.
The footage was shot by an NHK crew as it travelled
to Yakushima Island.
According to Junji Yonezawa, at the Center for
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Outlying
Islands, the animal's flight-time of 45 seconds must
be close to its physical limit, as brachial
respiration is impossible while moving through the
air.
There are some 40 species of "flying fish" in the
family known as Exocoetidae. The animals are found
worldwide in warmer waters. Their flight ability
comes from a glide rather than a powered
flapping.
Latest NEWS from PALAUTOURS.COM updated DIVE SITES, Wreck Diving, Hotel accommodation…Conservation & other Business establishments
© Gunther Deichmann - Blue Hole
Palau Micronesia
http://www.palautours.com/
More than 60 dive sites with descriptions (click on the image above) have been placed now, we are still working on some of the images in the right order but all the information is now there.
Completed the Wreck Diving pages
Updated also the Research & Conservation page have added detailed info (see below or click on the image)
Under Hotel accommodation PPR is now available.
Under Other Business establishments Palau Helicopters is now offering their service we also added the Palau Shop
A few pages still being worked on but will be available very shortly, in the meantime enjoy the site.
Your Palau Tours Team
http://www.palautours.com/
Did You Know? Whales are 'cheetahs of the deep'
Whales are 'cheetahs of the deep'
A pilot whale was seen to surface with squid in its mouth Super-fast pilot whales have been observed sprinting after prey, likely to include giant squid.
The rapid pursuit has brought comparisons with the fleet-footed land predator, the cheetah.
The cetaceans even use the same, highly specialized hunting strategy that cheetahs use, scientists report in the Journal of Animal Ecology.
They say it gives the lie to our perception that deep sea whales are slow, energy-saving creatures... more on this fascinating story @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7400788.stm
GOOD NEWS...more on the Live Reef Fish Ban... Ban signed in by the President of the Republic of Palau, Micronesia
I am very delighted to report that Palau’s Legislative and Executive Branches have come together to support individual states in bringing an end to the controversial practice of “Live Reef Fisheries” in Palau with the recent signing in to law of a bill outlawing the destructive practice. The people and leaders of Palau’s northerly states of Ngarchelong and Kayangel sought the assistance of the national government to help protect Palau’s environmentally important Northern Reefs.
The issue of Live Reef Fisheries first came to public attention through postings made on this blog dating back to 11/19/07 and continuing through 12/08/07. After the story on Live Reef Fisheries first broke on this blog a great deal of public debate and very close scrutiny took place on the environmental impact caused by this unsustainable and destructive fishing practice. States then appealed to the national government for assistance in ending the practice.
President Remengesau, Senator Alan Seid, Members of the OEK, and the leadership of Ngarchelong and Kayangel States are to be commended for their actions to protect Palau’s natural resources and marine environment from unsustainable exploitation.
For more on the issue of Live Reef Fisheries, please refer to these earlier posts on the subject on this blog
Jellyfish lakes of Palau.. & PalauTours.com updates... including the Conservation Society
One of the unique and special features in Palau are the amazing Jellyfish lakes...yes, there are more than one but due to the fragile environment only one has been made accessible for the public.
© Gunther Deichmann- Aerial view of Palau's Jellyfish Lake,
special thanks to Palau Helicopters and Matt the cool Pilot
click on the image or the link for more photos on Palau.
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
Jellyfish Lake is one of about 70 marine lakes found within the Rock Islands of Palau. This is a marine basin surrounded by a limestone island but connected to the inner lagoon by small and large channels or tunnels that course their ways through the rock. Some basins are connected to the lagoon by relatively wide channels that boats can navigate and others are almost completely isolated, connected only through microscopic cracks and fissures through the limestone
There are actually several marine basins in Palau...read more @ http://www.palautours.com/tour-jellyfish.html
Late NEWS...Ban on live fish export becomes law in Palau Micronesia a step in the right direction to preserve Palau's natural environment and unique Bio-diversity
...brought to you by palautours.com
Ban on live fish export becomes law in Palau Micronesia
a step in the right direction to preserve Palau's natural
environment and unique Bio-diversity.
See below excerps from a News Paper article by the
Horizon News Staff
With a stroke of his pen, president Tommy Remengesau, Jr. has put a stop to the export of live reef fish yesterday in Bai Mengeliakl,
Ngarchelong. Remengesau signed into law the Senate Bill.
President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. makes it clear, the significance of stopping the exportation of live reef fish yesterday.
PALAUTOURS.COM updated today May 7th 2008...including the FSM...plus a lot more very soon.
The colors of the Pacific...
(FSM - The Federated States of Micronesia)
Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) - Yap - Kosrae & Pohnpei
Click the image or the link below
http://www.palautours.com/micronesia.html
As promised... we have just updated the
palautours.com site changes and NEW additions are as follow;
Micronesia section is updated see the screenshot on this blog - a Palau and Regional map has been added -
in the Photo Gallery we have now provided caption on all the images for easy identification - Getting here is
been updated - some pages have additional text - plus we have changed some photos in various categories.
More to come by this weekend and an incredible update is in progress for the Dive sites of Palau, we will feature
most of the dive sites and not only the popular ones, a big undertaking but I am sure you enjoy it once that is done.
We try very hard to have our first listings up also by Sunday, please stay tuned or start subscribing.
Your Palau Tours Team
PalauTours.com is offering all you need for Your Journey to PALAU... Your ultimate Tour Guide...information on Resorts, Restaurants, Hotels...Diving plus a lot more...
Your Tour Guide to Palau and Micronesia
© Gunther Deichmann - Kayaks in the Rock Islands, Palau
click the image and go to our Gallery @
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
PALAUTOURS.COM is a unique and very informative site for
all Your requirements before traveling to Palau in Micronesia.
The site is fully up and running but we have to fix some minor glitches
and add some more exciting pages for you.
By this coming weekend we should have everything just about in place.
The interesting part is, not only Palau will be represented but we include
islands like Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae in due time.
Just stay tuned or subscribe to our RSS feed for the latest developments.
With these addition we bring you a lot closer to this amazing part of the world, You dont get any closer to Nature...above and below the waves.
To some extend these islands are still unexplored in parts hence the recent discovery of some unusual inhabitants (see our last blog) the scientist are still debating who and where these small people came from. PalauTours.com is trying to keep you well informed from this part of the World, not only on leisure activities, but news on Marine life, Science projects, discoveries and of course environmental related issues. If you have any interesting stories please dont hold back, send it to us, we love to publish it.
© Gunther Deichmann - Hotel, Resorts, Restaurant and Bar
Guide/Information
on Palau...click the image and go to Palautours.com
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
© Gunther Deichmann - Duty Free & Retail stores, Tour Operators
Government offices, Conservation & Medical services
plus a lot more...click the image and go to Palautours.com
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
© Gunther Deichmann - the World famous Blue Hole and
Blue Corner, Palau, plus many more different dive sites in our
Dive section including Dive Centers & Dive Resorts...
click the image and go to Palautours.com
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
We like YOU to use Palau Tours as your Resort, Hotel, Restaurant, Dive & Tour guide... YOU be amazed how beautiful this part of the world really is.
The Editor
The Synergy of the Palau Tours Website...YOUR information Guide to Palau Micronesia
...one of Natures best kept secrets.
© Gunther Deichmann - special thanks to Palau Helicopters
and Matt the Pilot, view at the 70 islands.
Click on the Images and go to our completed
Photo Gallery on Palau
The official launch of the PALAU TOURS Website…
some more fine tuning has to be done and a few glitches
have to be ironed out, however our Blog is out to keep
you posted and informed around the clock.
The Palau Tours website is totally independent and
neutral, conceived more than 12 month ago with the
aim in providing YOU up to date information
on Palau and Micronesia. Information on the Environment,
Hotels, Resorts, Diving, Tours, Shopping and much more.
Soon we provide you with a complete list of Establishments,
Government Services and local Operators.
© Gunther Deichmann - Palau Pacific Resort,
PPR, Your place in Palau.
At present we are going through our test phase and work
around the clock improving the site as we go…
The site will also be in different languages once the
English part is all finalized and has been approved by
the management.
Our aim is to show YOU Palau like you have never
seen it before, not only with stunning images but also
with good and informative text, so that when you
arrive in Palau you are all set to go, be it under or
above the waves.
We are AWARE of Palau’s fragile Environment and
support the Palau Conservation Society for it’s never
ending efforts in preserving Palau’s natural resources.
The Editor
Please have patience...we are working on it...like with everything ROME was not build in one day either...
As mention above in my headline
we are working non stop to give you the ultimate site
from Micronesia, please have patience but soon, very
soon we are finished a few more days...now we have to
get some rest and sleep...I think you understand,
Thank you.Soon we bring YOU amazing articles from
this fantastic region.
from the Palau Tours Team Good, night... or
G,morning...
© Gunther Deichmann
- Pinchers Lagoon, Palau Micronesia
We are proud to announce...the PALAU Tours website is almost completed...enjoy Micronesia like never before...
GD
© Gunther Deichmann
- Milky Way, Palau Micronesia
LATE BREAKING NEWS! "The Pink Pearls of the Pacific"
What a contrast!
GD
© Gunther Deichmann - Is this what it looked like in
Palau???
For some real images go to the link provided below...
this is only an artist impression.
The
annual mass spawning of corals on the Palau
archipelago in the western Pacific has occurred right
on cue. With Sunday night's full moon, coral polyps
let forth a huge swathe of sperm and egg, to seed the
next generation.
The event was short-lived - only about 30 minutes -
but so vast in its scale that it turned the sea water
pink. Scientists from Palau, Australia and the UK are
studying the practicality of collecting coral larvae
to help restore damaged reefs elsewhere.
See what a mass spawning at Palau looks like
(Reefvid.org)
As we got into the boat for our trip to Luke's reef,
I admit I was not really expecting to see the mass
spawning on the exact night of the full Moon. All the
visiting scientists here thought it was more likely
the reproductive extravaganza would happen the next
evening or the following one - based on what had
happened the last two years. The only person who
seemed sure it would happen on cue was Steven Victor,
the Palauan director of the Palau International Coral
Reef Center. Local knowledge was spot on, as it
turned out.
Almost as soon as the boat engine switched off, we
got a sense that something might be brewing... you
have to see and read the whole story...and images
@ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7358423.stm