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.