Fish 'N Fins Receives TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

A big congratulations to Fish 'n Fins Palau for receiving the esteemed Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence!

Tom Wilmer Interviews Darin De Leon, Director of the Palau Visitors Authority

Join Darin De Leon, Director of the Palau Visitors Authority as he visits with Tom Wilmer, producer & host of Audiolog airing over NPR affiliates KCBX, KSBX, KNBX. Darin talks about cool things to do and see in the magical realm of Palau situated in Micronesia. Listen in...

Tom Wilmer Podcasts About Palau on NPR

Thomas Wilmer, producer & host of Audiolog, the travel show for California Central Coast NPR affiliates for 22 years podcasts about Palau. Listen in...

President Toribiong talks about Palau’s sustainability programs

PALAU President Johnson Toribiong opened the final day of the Island Sustainability Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Toribiong spoke about the sustainable programs that have been implemented that enabled Palau to move forward with their long-term plans to create a sustainable island.

The threat posed by rising sea levels to island nations and coastal cities has been acknowledged by the United Nations as a matter of critical importance. Read full article...

Palau Spearheads Global Conservation

Thanks to a marine ecosystem hailed as one of “The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World,” the Republic of Palau was chosen to play a starring role in the new 3D IMAX film “The Last Reef: Cities Beneath the Sea.” The movie premiered at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in March 2012 and will be shown at museums and IMAX theaters around the world.

Much of “The Last Reef,” which explores the underwater worlds of the earth’s coral reef systems and the challenges they face, was shot in Palau. The waters surrounding Palau, a tiny nation with only 20,000 people and eight major and 250 smaller islands, are home to 1,300 species of fish and 483 species of corals.

Although a mere speck in the Pacific Ocean about 500 miles east of the Philippines, Palau has become a world leader in marine conservation. Its leaders realized years ago that concerted action must be taken to protect the seas of a nation whose economy relies on healthy fisheries and a burgeoning dive tourism industry attracted by its exquisite coral reefs.

“For small island developing countries like Palau, the reef is the essence of our survival. It is our culture, our way of life,” said Tommy Remengesau, Jr., president of Palau from 2001 to 2009 and current member of the Senate of Palau, at the film’s premier. “Our traditions and our lifestyle are all sustained by what the oceans and the reefs provide.”

Remengesau is no conservation newcomer. In fact, he has been a regional and international environmental leader for many years. It was during his presidency in 2005 that he spearheaded the Micronesia Challenge, a regional initiative in which several Pacific nations – the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands – joined Palau in pledging to conserve 30% of their coastal waters and 20% of their forests by 2020.

In 2003, Remengesau signed into law the Palau Protected Area Network, which set up the structure for a system of established private, state and local conservation sites. The protectors of these sites can apply for funding, which now comes from a $15 Green Fee paid by visitors to Palau. The work of PAN continues thanks to the more than $2 million that has been raised so far, and new sites are being added every year.

Through further legal action on another front, Remengesau sought to protect sharks, whose ranks were being decimated by foreign fishing fleets licensed to fish in Palauan waters. The fisherman were catching the sharks, cutting off their fins – later to be made into shark-fin soup and medicines – and throwing the finless sharks back into the water to die. He signed a law banning the practice in 2003.

Six years later, the nation’s current president, Johson Toribiong, declared Palau’s exclusive economic zone waters as the world’s first shark sanctuary at a meeting of the United Nations. In 2010, the government expanded the sanctuary’s scope to include whales, dolphins and dugongs, Palau’s most endangered animal.

Although Remengesau’s and Toribiong’s efforts have been instrumental in shaping the region’s environmental policies, there have been other major Palauan players as well. These include Noah Idechong, who has served as chief of Palau’s Division of Marine Resources and director of the Palau Conservation Society and is now the speaker of the 16-member House of Delegates of Palau. Idechong won the Goldman Environmental Prize, which honors grassroots environmental “heroes,” in 1995, partly for his efforts to encourage local Palauan chiefs to revive the ancient practice of using a “bul,” or moratorium, to restrict fishing when stocks are low or endangered. This bul system is one of the principles that the local leaders and scientists look to in the actions they take as part of the Protected Area Network and has been an inspiration to other leaders throughout the Pacific region.

As former Palau President and current Senator Remengesau said in his remarks at the Smithsonian, “Out of fear of total extinction of our reefs and terrestrial resources resulting from carbon dioxide greenhouse effect, climate change, global warming, sea level rise, and increase in water temperature, we initiated the Micronesia Challenge. There is a need for mankind to find solutions to this destructive problem. Everyone and every region must do their part.”

And few countries are doing their part better than Palau. Visit the Palau Visitors Authority for more information!

Dive Into The Blue Corner

Check out this gorgeous underwater video of The Blue Corner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiCXpaZEdHY

PALAU FEATURES NATURES MOST UNIQUE, ONE-OF-A-KIND ATTRACTIONS…SWIMMING WITH JELLYFISH

“Swimming in warm, golden Jellyfish Lake, I’m surrounded by friendly intelligent jellyfish,” writes travel journalist and photographer Sharon Spence Lieb. “At first I’m afraid I’ll be stung. But these creatures are different: They caress my body and embrace my face. These gelatinous orbs seem downright curious. If I could laugh underwater I would. Who would ever think jellyfish could be so harmless? I’ll remember this sensational wildlife encounter as one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. You’ve got to experience this for yourself.”

Lieb lives near the Atlantic Ocean and the beaches of Charleston, South Carolina. She knows that encounters with jellyfish can often end in pain. “I once got tangled in a jellyfish’s tentacles,” she recalls. “I was covered in painful welts. But Palau’s jellyfish don’t sting. They’ve evolved without predators, and they’re living peacefully in Palau. Maybe they’re official greeters. Jellyfish Lake is one of the reasons Palau is called the 8^th Natural Wonder of the World as well as one of The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World.”

WHERE IS PALAU?

Most have heard of Palau as one of Planet Earth’s legendary dive and snorkel destinations. But for those who wonder where it is, you’re not alone. Located in the westernmost corner of Micronesia, Palau is an archipelago of over 586 islands. Only 20,000 people call this area home. But those willing to travel a to this remote paradise will swim in the translucent Pacific Ocean with over 1400 species of fish, 500 species of coral living underneath the stunning Rock Islands….and incredible jellyfish in Palau’s Jellyfish Lake.

“Jellyfish Lake is a well-known tourist destination,” says Yositaka Adachi, Governor of Koror State. “To swim among millions of harmless jellyfish is an unforgettable experience. Our Government is vigilant about conserving and managing our ecological integrity. We are devoted to preserving our natural environment as part of our heritage and culture.”

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE NON-STINGING JELLYFISH

The golden jellyfish found only in Jellyfish Lake are called “Mastigias Papua Etpisoni.” Living in their tissues are zooxanthellae, which are symbiotic dinoflagellates. Theirs is a special relationship: the jellyfish rotates in a circle and swims around Jellyfish Lake, making sure the zooxanthellae get enough sunlight for photosynthesis. In exchange, the zooxanthellae provide their jellyfish with energy and nutrients.

The jellyfish capture tiny organisms for food, with stinging cells inherited from their ancestor, Mastigias Papua. But they did not evolve to eat large vertebrates like humans. They bob peacefully in the sun and are completely harmless to snorkelers exploring beautiful Jellyfish Lake.

JELLYFISH FOLLOW THE SUN

These unusual jellyfish swim in a migratory pattern seen only in Jellyfish Lake. At sunrise, they swim towards the east shoreline, stopping at the shadow line formed by overhanging trees and rocks. They hover there in the sunlit seawater. As the sun arcs overhead throughout the day, the jellies turn and swim towards the west shoreline, again stopping to bob at the shadow line. Like sunflowers, and tourists snoozing on the beach, Palau’s jellyfish are ardent sun worshippers.

A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE

“For twenty years, I’ve traveled the world, publishing articles about my intense encounters with wildlife,” says travel journalist Sharon Lieb. “I’ve kayaked with orca killer whales, snorkeled with beluga whales, swum with forty foot long whale sharks and photographed wild Canadian polar bears. But, never in my life have I been lovingly touched by a creature that is supposedly dangerous. Their curiosity and intelligence is humbling. Holding a jellyfish in your hand is a real The Twilight Zone moment. I suspended my fear, and floated into the Fourth Dimension, where all creatures share the joy of being alive. Open your heart for this life changing experience.”

(Note: for those interested in a little sneak preview, check out this video:

Dive into 2012 with Palau’s Ocean-Based Events

In Palau, the ocean sets the stage for 2012. Known as one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World,” Palau hosts some of the most unique and truly exceptional ocean-based events, including Shark Week; Wrexpedition (featuring World War II dive wrecks); Kids Sea Camp; and Diversity Fiesta.

Shark enthusiasts will enjoy a shark themed week full of adrenalin-packed activities as Fish ‘n Fins together with the Micronesian Shark Foundation (MSF) holds its 10^th annual Shark Week at Palau’s Fish ‘n Fins dive shop, from March 14-21, 2012. Between February and April, hundreds of grey reef sharks migrate to the waters of Palau to mate, which generates a great opportunity for shark lovers to dive amongst them and to participate in data collection. Participants will get the opportunity to dive world famous sites like Blue Corner, Peleliu Corner and Shark City without other divers being around. Shark Week features nightly lectures, presentations and documentaries presented by some of the world’s most admired leaders in underwater exploration, conservation and discovery. Hotel/dive packages for Shark Week start at $1,250 per person and include accommodations, multiple days of diving, seminars, participation in studies and research, lunches, transportation, an exclusive T-Shirt and a Gala Dinner.

More than sixty-five years ago, during WWII, Palau was a major Japanese military base. On March 30th and 31st, 1944, US Navy bombers and fighter planes raided the Japanese fleet and sank more than 60 ships and seaplanes in and around the lagoon. Today, Palau is renowned for its beautiful lagoons and thrilling marine action but is also the resting place for the “Japanese Lost Fleet of the Rock Islands.”

The 10^th annual Wrexpedition is one of Fish ‘n Fins annual special events, which lasts one week and includes five days of diving; three tanks a day, seminars and tech-diving. Between the dives and during the seminars, participants have the unique opportunity to watch extraordinary documentaries about WWII. Wrexpedition 2012 will be held from June 04-11, 2012. Dive packages are available and include accommodations, multiple days of diving, lunches, transportation, seminars, movie nights, a T-Shirt and much more.

Sam’s Tours’ Kids Sea Camp makes a third appearance in Palau this year in collaboration with Sport Diver Magazine and PADI Diving Society. Scheduled for the week of June 23-30, 2012, this trip “sets the table” for an unforgettable family vacation. With great value in mind, Sam’s Tours offer a variety of packages to accommodate a full family of divers or combination of divers and non-divers.

The basic “Vacation Package” features seven days and seven nights of luxury accommodations; daily meals that consist of seven breakfasts, six lunches and six dinners, including Welcome Dinner, Taj, Beach BBQ, Kramer’s and Graduation “Survivor Day”; round trip airport transfers; transportation for all excursions; Rock Island Tour/Jellyfish Lake; full-day guided Kayak Tour; Babeldaob Island Tour; Ngardmau Waterfall Hike; City Tour; and visit to Palau International Coral Reef Center. Diver packages include all of the above as well as five days of diving at the famed Palau dive sites.

Palau’s “Diversity Fiesta” celebrates the destination’s unique combination of great diving during the day and gourmet cuisine and wine at night. Located in the western pacific and under Japanese rule for decades, combined with culinary influence from Philippines, USA, Malaysia and Indonesia, Palau’s cuisine is a truly Pacific fusion of sea food, fresh fruits and vegetables and spices.

Tova Harel, Fish ‘n Fins and Ocean Hunter owner is an accomplished and innovative chef, cookbook publisher and food and wine lover, and will be the ever gracious host at night with exotic meals. During the day, guests will dive Palau’s best sites and at night there will be a celebration of food and wines from the Pacific Rim. Diners will be served at Barracuda restaurant and on deserted islands under the stars.

The special weeklong fiesta is scheduled from September 3-10, 2012 and the diving program includes a rotation of the following: Day 1- Dancing Sharks: Dive Palau’s blue corners and sheer walls; Day 2- Forlorn WWII Wrecks: explore our 30+ historic wrecks; Day 3- Mysterious Caves: Temple of Doom and Chandelier cave; Day 4- Colorful Coral gardens: Macro heaven and Jelly Fish Lake; Day 5- Majestic Blue Holes: our famous blue holes.

From Palau Island Home!

"Modeled on an African safari lodge, this 1,200 square foot house uses local hardwoods, canvas, and an open plan in order to be as close to nature as possible - at times, a little too close. Salt spray blows through the bedroom. Five-foot long, monitor lizards ander through the living room. Monkeys, including our pet, Gomez, rummage through the kitchen cupboards.

But the little property does have some nice features, including it's own beach, fantastic snorkeling, a water catchment system, and an outdoor shower with views up and down the coast. The closest neighbor is over two miles away.

Building it involved, among other awkward things, mailing ourselves 12,500 screws and digging 44 holes two feet into compacted limestone - without power tools. The holes alone took us a month. Even with the seven friends we imported to help us build.

"Welcome to paradise," was a sweaty refrain as we whacked crowbars into rock, "Welcome to paradise." "

Adventure Girl Visits Palau's Jellyfish Lake!

Check out Adventure Girl Stefanie Michaels as she dives in Jellyfish lake to swim with and hold jellyfish! How awesome is that??

Paradise in Palau – Special Edition!

"It was one of most surreal experiences of my life—swimming among millions of golden jellyfish, so many that you couldn’t avoid bumping into them with your bare skin. But what should normally be an excruciatingly painful experience (and if you’ve ever been stung by a jelly you know what I mean) wasn’t. On a tiny island in Palau is one of most famous snorkeling sites in the world: Jellyfish Lake. And if there is one place you need to see before you kick the bucket, this is it..." Read full article...

Palau's most idyllic Live Aboard options

For those looking to fill their “bucket list” with a scuba adventure in one of the world’s most beloved dive destinations, Palau is home to some of the world’s most idyllic Live Aboard options.

The Palau Aggressor II

To begin, the Palau Aggressor II is an 18-passenger, 106-foot aluminum catamaran. Sunday-to-Sunday charters explore world-class diving favorites like Blue Corner, Ulong Channel, Blue Holes, and many more. Charters include a visit to remote Peleliu Island as well. Diving, accommodations, meals, snacks, soft beverages, beer, wine and service from a professional crew are included. The boat may be hired for private charters, film production support and marine research.

Contact/Information: Palau Aggressor IIMalakal, Koror, Koror 96940Telephone: 800-348-2628 / 985-385-2628Email: palau@aggressor.comWebsite: http://www.aggressor.com/

Ocean Hunter I

A family run operation since 1993, Ocean Hunter I is a 60 foot (21 meters) motorsailer Liveaboard, exclusively designed to accommodate only six divers. This exclusive “dreamboat” has been in Palau for eighteen years and just underwent an upgrade, making it feel like a brand new boat. Each of the cabins are now fitted with private A/C units, toilets and showers. The renovation took place in Palau with attention to our previous and repeat guests requests and wishes with the magical touch of the famed Navot Bornovski, the accomplished mechanical engineer and a naval architect. A fixture on this exclusive yacht is the crew, led by Captain Troy Ngiraikelau who has gone on over 8,000 dives in Palau, and Chef Roy with over 9,000 gourmet meals under his belt. Ocean Hunter I has an average of 55% repeat guests, a sum that very few (if at all) liveaboard achieve. Those that charter this liveaboard will enjoy unlimited diving on board, diving from the main boat and being able to get close to the dive sites as well as professional underwater photography services; gourmet health food; rich scientific marine library. For more information contact: info@oceanhunter.com.

Contact/Information: Ocean Hunter I, P.O. Box 964, Koror, Palau 96940Telephone: (680) 488-2637Email: info@oceanhunter.comWebsite: http://www.oceanhunter.com/