Palau and Micronesia…things you should know...
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.
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.
DIVING IN PALAU... the Operators and Dive Centers plus Liveaboards, Dive the Jewel of the Pacific one of the BEST DIVE destination in the World
Many more to come in next few weeks below is just a small selection of the Dive Centers and Liveaboards which are available to you in Palau we are also providing you with a link to the Palau Visitors Authority, PVA
National Geographic Society named Palau as the first Underwater Wonder of the World, and it continues to live up to it's reputation as one of the planets finest places to SCUBA dive. The diversity of marine life in combination with the variety of dive sites provides even the most experienced fish-watcher with amazing diving opportunities. The dive sites around Palau include sheer vertical walls, current-swept channels, high intensity dives like the famous Blue Corner, relaxing dives in coral gardens, unique dives like Siaes Tunnel and Blue Holes, and plenty of wreck diving. All of the dive sites contain examples of Palau's incredible diversity with huge schools of tropical fish and walls adorned with colorful soft corals and, of course, some of the big animals that jump start the adrenalin...read more and go to palautours.com for more detailed information @ http://www.palautours.com/dive-sites.html
Palau Visitors Authority PVA
http://www.visit-palau.com/
NECO
Marine
http://www.necomarine.com/
Day Dream Palau
Ocean Hunter I, II &III Liveaboard
& FishnFins Dive Center
http://oceanhunter.com/
Sam's
Tour Palau, Micronesia
http://www.samstours.com/main.html
Splash Dive Center at PPR
http://www.splash-palau.com/eg/
Sail and DIVE with the Eclipse,
Liveaboard
http://www.palau-divensail.com/
The
Aggressor Fleet - Liveaboard
http://www.aggressor.com/subpage11.php
Palau's mushroom-shaped rock
islands offer a variety of exciting dives: WWII
wrecks, shark-infested channels, blue holes, a
freshwater lake with stingless jellyfish and even a
few caves. There are also sheer walls covered in lush
soft corals and huge anemones. Beginner divers may
find Palau's strong currents challenging. All dives
are made from the 18-passenger dive skiff, which is
lowered into the water by a hydraulic cradle.
Seven-day charters are Sunday to Sunday with five
days and one-half days of diving. Diving begins
Monday and ends Saturday morning. Transfers from the
Palau airport are provided on the day of arrival and
departure.
PALAUTOURS.COM presents a Culture Delight... visit the Museums of Palau...Books on Palau...& interesting articles.
We can help you to plan your trip prior YOUR departure from any destination in the world.
Providing you with articles written by writers who have visited Palau or from our own on staff Marine Biologist who is only to happy in providing YOU the information you might require on Palau’s amazing Marine Biodiversity.
Today we like to introduce YOU to the Belau National Museum and the Etpison Museum in Koror.
Both Museums are defently worth a visit or two, scroll through the amazing History and Culture of Palau. The Museums contain native work, past and present, shell and stone money, which is now used as family jewelry. Both places have excellent souvenir shops, a good choice of local handicrafts, T-shirts, Postcards and publications on Palau.
The Books below are available through out Palau's
major Retail outlets, Gift shops and Dive Centers,
at the Belau National Museum
and Etpison Museum.
“ PALAU ” Dive Sites, History & Culture
(Revised 2nd Edition)
“ PALAU BOOKLET ” – A photo guide through
Palau, Micronesia. Featuring some of the best
images on Palau by Gunther Deichmann world
renowned photographer.
Visit palautours Photo Gallery @
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
______________________________
Below two articles on Palau…
Palau: Snorkeling and Diving Paradise
Pristine South Pacific Island Country Beckons
By Larry Taylor
Not a lot of American travelers know about Palau. But just ask avid divers or snorkelers. If they haven’t already been there, they will tell you Palau is at the top of their list of “must go” spots.
Palau is an archipelago of over 400 islands in the South Pacific with less than 20,000 citizens. About 90 percent live in Koror state, where tourists usually stay. The attraction–lying off Koror are the Rock Islands, approximately 300 islets, protected by a huge barrier reef. An underwater paradise…
read the complete article @
http://travellady.com/Issues/September07/4438Palau.html
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Dazzling Palau & its turquoise waters under the radar
The islands with dazzling undersea life are little known to Americans, or anyone else for that matter.
By Rosemary McClure, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Palau, Micronesia
An underwater armada sailed by my dive mask, turned as if on cue and sailed by again -- a dozen bright splashes of color sparkling in the calm, clear water. These yellow-tailed fusiliers were showing off for a clumsy human intruder, I thought, and I laughed.
Clumsy, indeed. I exploded to the surface coughing. I'd forgotten you can't laugh underwater; I'm always so excited when I'm nose to nose with a school of fish that I overlook the limitations of having a snorkel clenched between my teeth.
The fusiliers and I were swimming in aquamarine water off the coast of Palau, a tiny Western Pacific nation that's considered an underwater wonder of the world…
read the complete article @
http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-palau11jul11