JELLYFISH EXHIBITS ARE BECOMING POPULAR ATTRACTIONS NEAR + FAR

Palau’s Jellyfish Lake has long been a popular destination attraction since the early 1980s. Many claim this is the only place in the world in which humans can safely swim with Jellyfish…and it is a vast and very special “playground.”

While it is one of the most unique attractions on the planet, Jellyfish Lake is no longer the only stage in which these fascinating creatures dance for an audience.

As a matter of fact, there are several museums throughout North America that are now featuring Jellyfish displays, including such prestigious aquariums as California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium; Florida’s Key West Aquarium; and Chicago’s Shedd Aquairum; to name just a few.

So, for those that can’t travel to one of the world’s most renowned underwater destinations to enjoy the virtues of swimming/snorkeling up close and personal with Palau’s golden jellyfish (known as Mastigias) and the moon jellyfish (known as Aurelia), “arm chair travelers” can revel in sensational museum exhibits closer to home.  Just Google search “Jellyfish Exhibits” and find an underwater adventure awaiting, close to home.

However, for those that do have the means to travel to one of the “seven underwater wonders of the world,” Palau has many virtues to make the journey worthwhile.

In addition to boasting the popular Jellyfish Lake experience, Palau is known as Jacques Cousteau’s favorite scuba diving destination; became the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009; features air-, land- and water- based activities that include everything from helicopter tours, eco-adventure zipline course, ATV excursions, World War II history expeditions, Coral Reef Center and waterfall hikes to jungle river boat journeys, kayaking, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, dolphin encounters and nature’s own Milky Way “spa” nestled in the iconic Rock Islands.

Palau, Micronesia Scores High On Scuba Diving Magazine’s Top 100 Gold List 2013

Considered by industry experts and scuba diving enthusiasts as “the best of the best,” Scuba Diving Magazine’s Top 100 Gold List is a “popularity contest” where rankings are based on a total number of responses from global readers and divers.  The Top 100 Gold List features operators, resorts, live-aboards, underwater experiences (i.e., best wall, shore and wreck sites), dive bars and more.  For more specific information on the results, please visithttp://www.scubadiving.com/2013-gold-list.  Here are some of the highlights that feature our beloved scuba diving destination of Palau and many of our tour operators.

The “best” of the best (where Palau rates):

1          Best Dive Site Blue Corner, Palau

24        Best Bar Kramer’s Cafe, Palau

28        Best Dive Operator, Sam’s Tours, Palau

74        Best Dive Site, Ulong Channel, Palau

95        Best Bar, Bottom Time Bar & Grill, Sam’s Tours, Palau

Best Wall Diving
1. Palau
2. Papau New Guinnea
3. Indonesia
4. Red Sea
5. Fiji

Best Macro Diving
1. Indonesia
2. Philippines
3. Papau New Guinea
4. Palau
5. Malaysia

Best Wreck Diving
1. Chuuk
2. Palau
3. Solomon Islands
4. Tie – Bali and Queensland

Best Value of Diving Dollar
1. Philippines
2. Palau
3. Malaysia
4. Indonesia
5. Thailand

Best Advanced Diving
1. Palau
2. Fiji
3. Red Sea
4. Indonesia
5. Galapagos

Best Underwater Photography
1. Fiji
2. Tie – Maldives and Palau
4. Philippines
5. Red Sea

Best Big Animals
1. Palau
2. Maldives
3. Tie – Galapagos and Mexico
5. French Polynesia

Best Marine Environment
1. Palau
2. Fiji
3. Maldives
4. Australia
5. Red Sea

Best Overall Diving
1. Palau
2. Indonesia
3. Philippines
4. Maldives
5. Great Barrier Reef

To cast your vote for the 2014 Top 100 Gold List, go to: http://www.scubadiving.com/top100

Fish ‘n Fins Introduces New Helicopter Service in Palau, Micronesia

The only one of its kind in Palau, pioneer dive shop Fish ‘n Fins just introduced a new helicopter service. Officially known as Palau Helicopters Inc., Fish ‘n Fins now owns and operates a brand new Robinson R66 turbine helicopter, which allows visitors to experience the beauty of Palau‘s Rock islands from the air.

Scenic flight and photography tours include 20; 40; and 60 minute options, which offer an opportunity to explore the Rock Islands, Jellyfish Lake, the WWII battle fields of Peleliu and the world-class dive sites from a different point of view.  The scene is set by pilot Martin Pacheco who has over 3300 hours of flying experience and is also an FAA certified helicopter/airplane mechanic and FAA A&P helicopter inspector.  Prices for the tours range from $185 to $450 per person or from $1,150 for 30-minute private charters for up to four people.

As the only commercially-available helicopter or airplane tour in Palau, Fish ‘n Fins’ Palau Helicopters Inc. is also developing Search & Rescue and Medevac programs with the local government to provide a safer diving and boating environment.

For more information and booking: email info@fishnfins.com or call 680-488-2637.

Palau, Micronesia Announces The Introduction of Sam’s Tours New Liveaboard Dive Yacht and Fish ‘n Fins 40th Anniversary

As one of the “Underwater Wonders of the World,” Palau is home to two of the scuba diving industry’s most celebrated dive shops, namely Sam’s Tours and Fish ‘n Fins.

Sam’s Tours Introduces New Liveaboard Dive Yacht

Sam’s Tours, Palau’s premier five star dive center, recently introduced its brand new liveaboard dive yacht Palau Siren, in partnership with Worldwide Dive and Sail and the Siren Fleet.  To provide the ultimate in liveaboard dive vacations, the luxurious Palau Siren is based on a traditional hand-crafted design and has been carefully outfitted with modern amenities.  The Palau Siren is setting a new standard in Palau and recently set sail in November, 2012.

Palau Siren features eight large staterooms, complete with en-suite bathrooms, individually controlled air-conditioning, personal entertainment systems and large comfortable beds.  The panoramic dining area offers amazing views of the rock islands that complement the international cuisine that is freshly prepared by a team of gourmet chefs. 

Leisure time is a way of life onboard Palau Siren, where guests can enjoy a tropical cocktail on deck, relax and watch a movie in the salon, unwind with a soothing massage from the onboard therapist or kayak Palau’s inner lagoons. 

The Palau Siren will operate year round embarking on seven and ten day excursions that showcase the famous dive sites of Palau.  For more information: reservations@samstours.com, 680-488-7267 or www.samstours.com.

Fish ‘n Fins Celebrates 40^th Anniversary with Gala Celebration and New Dive Guide

Fish ‘n Fins is the pioneer dive shop in Palau and will be celebrating its 40^th anniversary on December 12, 2012 with a gala celebration that is open to the public.

Fish ‘n Fins was founded in 1972 by Mr. “Dive Palau” Francis Toribiong. Because of his pioneering commitment to scuba diving, Toribiong was inducted in 2010 to the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. In 1998, the dive shop management was transferred to the hands of wife and husband team Tova and Navot Bornovski, who expanded the dive shop, activities, community and conservation efforts.  Fish ‘n Fins has been Palau’s only PADI IDC center for the last 10 years. 

To commemorate the 40^th anniversary, Fish ‘n Fins is launching a new Diving and Snorkeling Guide book, which features full descriptions of Palau’s diving and snorkeling sites, 3D illustrations of dive sites and WWII wrecks and beautiful photos taken over the years by renowned underwater photographers. 

Sustainability and Environmental issues in Palau

 

Climate Change contributes to Palau Environmental issues, rising sea level, coral bleaching, drought, destructive fishing practices like deep sea bottom trawling, unsustainable harvesting of shark for their fins and overexploitation of tuna stocks. Climate changes being a threat, new infrastructure development project incur a number of impacts during their construction. The effect of run-off from sedimentation poses one of the threats to water quality in the marine environment.


* Palau has implemented several sustainable programs and initiative to enable Palau to move forward with long term plans to create a sustainable Island.

o Former President, Tommy E. Remengesau called on his regional peers to join him in the Micronesia Challenge, which will conserve 30 percent of near shore coastal waters and 20 percent of forest land by 2020. Joining the initiative we Palau, the Federated State of Micronesia and Marshall Islands and the US territories of Guam and Northern Marianas Islands.

o Ban Shark Finning in Palau

o President Johnson Toribiong on September 2009, during the 64th regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly declared Palau’s 237,000 square miles of ocean as the World First Shark Sanctuary.

o Green Energy Micronesia (GEM) initiative is to generate 20 percent of power from renewable energy and achieving 30 percent energy efficiency by the year 2020. President Toribiong believes one of the solutions to climate change is to transition from the use of fossil fuel, which is a finite energy source, to renewable energy from the sun, wind and other sources.


* Palau has installed several Solar Panels at the National Airport, National Capitol Building, Department of Education, Solid Waste Recycling Center, National Development Bank of Palau, and Palau Energy Office. Government also installed several hundreds of solar light along the street of Koror (business area of Palau) and implemented a program to allow residents to exchange their light bulbs to fluorescent lights. So far, around 20,000 compact fluorescent lights have been distributed by the program.


o Green Revolution is another program initiated by President Toribiong. This initiative will increase local food production and at the same time open new employment for residents.

Palau, Micronesia’s Jellyfish Lake Gets A “Facelift”

 

 

One of the most unique attractions on the planet, Palau’s Jellyfish Lake recently upgraded its previously-rutted access trail with a smoother, more pedestrian-friendly concrete path/stairway.  

One of the great virtues of Jellyfish Lake is the remote, tropical hike between the Rock Islands entryway over an elevated pathway that leads visitors through a jungle-like environment into a “secret watering hole” full of tens of thousands of friendly, safe-to-swim-with jellyfish.

Because the previous trail was somewhat archaic, the Koror State Government saw the make improvements to the pathway for visitor safety and easier access.

“We see these improvements as an asset to one of the world’s most unique attractions,” comments Darin DeLeon, Managing Director of the Palau Visitor’s Authority.  “The intention was to improve upon the safety and access to one of our destination’s most popular sites, while maintaining the integrity of its natural, tropical ambience.”

Palau, Micronesia’s Rock Islands Listed Amongst UNESCO's World Heritage List

Palau’s Rock Islands Southern Lagoon has been inscribed onto the World Heritage list of (UNESCO) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. If you go on the website this is what you will find below:
Listed as a mixed site (for both cultural and natural properties), Rock Islands Southern Lagoon covers 100,200-hectare and numbers 445 uninhabited limestone islands of volcanic origin. Many of them display unique mushroom-like shapes in turquoise lagoons surrounded by coral reefs. The aesthetic beauty of the site is heightened by a complex reef system featuring over 385 coral species and different types of habitat. They sustain a large diversity of plants, birds and marine life including dugong and at least 13 shark species. The site harbors the highest concentration of marine lakes anywhere, isolated bodies of seawater separated from the ocean by land barriers. They are among the islands’ distinctive features and sustain high endemism of populations which continue to yield new species discoveries.


The well-known biodiversity of the Republic of Palau lies in the marine and terrestrial environment of the Rock Islands where important habitats threatened and endangered species are situated. The significant aesthetic and culture values of the landscape of the Southern Lagoon are integral to the identity of the State and our island nation. Becoming a world heritage site will help us better adapt management to address complex challenges and issues that are constantly changing.



According to Ilebrang U. Olkeriil, Coastal Management Officer/Campaign Manager of the Koror State Government’s Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement, “On behalf of Koror State Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement, we thank all those who worked hard and for the in-kind contribution to make our dream of international recognition a reality.”