|
Micronesia: Marshall Islands, Kosrae, Palau, Truk, Yap | |
Marshall Islands
After years of radiation monitoring and long months of negotiation,
the historic shipwrecks of Bikini Atoll were finally opened up to recreational
divers. Monitoring was done and is still being done by the U.S. Department of
Energy to ensure that radiation levels in the lagoon are low enough to permit
safe diving. This is a wreck diver's paradise, but be prepared: most of them
are deep. . . .
For full reviews of Marshall Island destinations, see:
Bikini Atoll/Marshall Islands Dive,
In Depth- January 1997 Bikini AtollMarshall Island Divers, Bikini Atoll, June 1999, Lee Zuckerman, York, PA. Vis: 80-110 ft. Water: 80-85 degrees. All deco dives. Everyone clears on computers before exit. Great place to stop on my way back from Mongolia. Spent a few days diving around Majuro. Even that "top secret missile base." Came across a dead body floating just off the shore from the Outrigger Hotel. The human face was removed. Bikini-Fabio and Edward ran the best dive operation. Made everyone feel comfortable with the depths and decompression. A must for any serious diver. Spent two weeks with the dive operation. Wrecks are awesome. Fish and more fish and sharks. A true paradise - Fabio "Nothing could be better than to be in Carolina in the morning." If you spend a lot of time on Bikini and you want to take a break from the decompression (you might get bored with 2 hour deco stops) they will take you out for some of the best deep sea fishing in all of the Pacific. Kwajalein AtollKwajalein Island, April/May 1999, Tom Sheley, Two Rivers, WI. Trip-N-Tour made the arrangements. Our second trip to this island; all military (& contract workers) working on various government projects. Visiting divers cannot stay on the island, but take a short boat trip to the nearby island of Ebeye, a mile long and 2000 feet wide. This could be paradise, but it's home to 9000 natives (and at times a couple of divers) who appear to be content with this overcrowding, but most U.S. divers would be horrified. Accommodations fluctuate when it comes to air conditioning, bugs and water; but the friendliness of the people and the variety of clean shipwrecks makes it worthwhile. Anta Rosa hotel is now called the Kwajalein Atoll Dive Resort in the Trip-N-Tour information, but the owner of the hotel was not aware of this name change. Steve Gevegan took real good care of us again. He married a local girl and lives on the island, but his services are not always available in that he occasionally commutes back to the states. All our dive gear made it except one of the UW camera cases (showed up the next day). Vis varies day to day. On the deep wrecks vis was 40-100 Ft. Water 85 degrees. Some small artifacts are gone but the lack of soft coral growth on these wrecks totally outweighs this fact. In Truk the soft coral growth outside the wrecks is so thick that the small stuff that hasn't grown legs is long since buried, and the features of the ship are lost to the diver not familiar with nautical equipment. In Kwaj the ship and gun details are not cluttered with growth and the photography detail potential becomes excellent. One of the best wrecks is the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, which accompanied the Bismarck during the second World War. Used as a target during the Bikini A&B nuclear bomb test, it, at others that surveyed, were pulled to Kwaj for evaluation and taking them out to deep water for scuttling. The Prince developed a bad leak and rolled onto its side near Kwajalein. Perfect dive. Vis for four dives was 60 ft. The ship is nearly 600 ft long with its propellers out of the water and bow at 100 ft, affording a choice of environments. A short distance inside (just about every entry point and the "X" turret) is a thrill. The bow is suspended from the "A" turret and bridge with about 25 ft of free water over a beautiful white sandy bottom. A photo of the anchor chains hanging down from the deck attachment is a "must have picture." Three restaurants on the island provide very good meals, and the local grocery stores are well stocked with everything from ice cream to distilled water. Someone should station a live-aboard there. (Telephone +692 329-3100; Fax+ 692 329-3297) Majuro AtollOutrigger Resort, September 1999, John P. Young, Majuro, RMI, HH. Vis: 60-100 ft. ocean side, 30-40 ft. in lagoon, Water: 82-84 degrees. New dive operation. Some Pampers on the reefs, but the water and coral are amazing. I just moved here from San Antonio. MidwayMidway Sport Divers, August 1999, Bob Flatt (bobf@fishes.com), Vancouver, WA. Vis: 50-160 ft. Unusual for a Pacific island diving, almost no coral; bottom is gently sloping limestone with some ledges, canyons and tunnels. Marine life is different, and worth the trip. Atoll is a nature reserve for Fish and Wildlife Service; zillions of ocean birds nest. Facilities left over from the Navy, which departed three years ago; visitors stay in the refurbished bachelor officers quarters and eat in the Galley, basic and takes getting used to. Restaurant run by a French couple is a welcome change. Best fish life on edges and the wrecks, which include a sub tender, a water barge, and a Corsair, an incredible dive. Masked Angels, Japanese Angels, juvenile Schlegel's Groupers, Weedy Scorpionfish Rhinopias xeno-something), a fat Dragon Moray, more eels, lobster. Severn's Ledge and Deep Pockets are great sites. Fantail File, Morwong, Boarfish, Knifejaws, Hawaiian groupers, Galapagos sharks, and a long encounter with a friendly Hawaiian Monk Seal. Sharks did not live up to billing on the web site (www.midwaydive.com) a few on each dive, one 5 ft. Not the place for macro photography. Diving available six months during the summer. Water in the low 80s but with thermoclines to the mid 70s. A place to see those fishes from Jack Randall's "Shore Fishes of Hawaii" that you are unlikely see in Hawaii.
Midway Sport Divers, September 1999, Sarah Crawford, Kailua-Kona, HI. Vis: 40-80 ft., Keoki and his crew knowledgeable of wildlife and topography. Center of the WWII war zone and crossroads of the Pacific for most of this century, so underwater life protected from fish collectors and other plunder. Schools of fish are many and thick. Galapagos sharks often shadow your dives, and an occasional grouper wants to be your buddy. Three rare monk seals came by. Some dives were drifts, but the current was slow enough to let you poke around a bit. Beautiful place (with a residual military feel and look), great diving.
KosraeThis small, unspoiled island didn't get jet service until 1987, and it still hasn't changed much.... Its high volcanic peaks are lush and green, and a close, fringing reef makes the diving easily accessible, but it's not high-voltage diving on a par with Palau. Palau Long day-boat rides to the best diving weave through calm water
and past magnificent rock islands, but there's the potential for rough seas on
the outer edges of islands.... Serious divers who want more dives prefer live-aboards
due to the length of the daily commute from Koror.... Marine biodiversity here
is among the greatest in the world.... Visibility can exceed 200', while currents
range from nil to dangerously strong, with four Japanese divers carried away in
1994.... Water temperatures are in the low- to mid-80s.... Favorite dives include
Great Wall at Ngemelis, Blue Corner, and any of the walls around the tip of Peleliu....
The capital city of Koror, well along the way to being Caymanized by massive tourism,
has excellent ethnic restaurants.... Check out the DW Motel or Sunrise Villa Hotel
for low-priced lodging options.... The best handicrafts are prisoners' carved
wooden story boards for sale at the jail in town; hand-pressed coconut oil from
street vendors is a good gift for your personal massage practitioner.... The College
of Micronesia's bookstore offers printed signs that are useful back home ("No
Chewing Betelnut" and "No Smoking Drinks").... See Gen. Douglas
MacArthur's old yacht, which is gradually sinking into the water at the dock in
Peleliu....
For full reviews of the following Palau live-aboards, see:
Palau Aggressor II,In Depth- March 1996
Sun Dancer,In Depth- February 1995 Fish 'N Fins/Palau Pacific Resort, June 1999, Arthur F. Graf, San Antonio. TX. Good 4 star resort with all the amenities. Good beach and pool. Dive facilities handy. Food good but expensive. Good day boat with twin outboards & canvas topped. Dive guides were good, but all dives were led. All tanks 3,000+. Reefs disappointing; hard coral in bad shape and soft coral was few and far between. Wall diving good. Visibility 30 to 40 ft. Current diving was good as the boat followed the bubbles and was always there to pick us up. (Telephone: 800-245-4129 or 680-488-2637; Fax: 671-649-4221 or 680-488-1725)
Palau Pacific Resort, May 1999, Stephanie Mills. White sand beaches, swaying palms, water in multi-shades of blue, the hotel tucked away amid tropical plants and trees. Our rooms were supposedly gardenview but looked out on the beach and ocean with a direct path to the thatched roof bar! Restaurant was open air. At night: Polynesian dancers, strolling musicians. Rented kayaks to explore the beautiful coastline. Snorkeling fantastic in front: rainbow wrasses, butterflyfish, angels, pipefish and giant clams. On the grounds there is an orchid greenhouse and a big pond with rays, sea stars and lots of tropical fish. (Telephone 680-488-2600; Fax 680-488-1606 or 680-488-1601)
Sam's Dive Tours/Palau Pacific Resort, August 1998, Dan Koon, Piti, Guam. Vis: 100-150 ft. Water: 82-84 degrees. The Best. (Telephone 680-488-1062 or 680-188-1720; Fax 680-488-5003)
Sam's Dive Tours/Palau Pacific Resort, December 1998, Jeffrey Jenner, Gilroy, CA. Vis: 10 in wrecks-150+. Water: 85-87 degrees. 5 star Palau Pacific does everything to separate you from your money. Relatively isolated, but no reason to leave except variety. Splash, the on-site dive shop, is well-equipped but caters to Japanese short profile group diving. Sam's is the best; congenial, accommodating divemasters with good knowledge of islands and marine environment. Blue Corner when the current is right is unbelievable. Sharks, soft and hard coral, triggers wrasses, Moorish Idols schooling by the thousands. Got wreck certified here and wrecks are magnificent. Jellyfish Lake is not dead, one of the more unreal experiences anyone could have. Jellyfish by the gazillions. Stay somewhere cheap, you're never in your room. Dive everyday.
Sam's Dive Tours/Palau Pacific Resort, February 1999, Joe Puckett, Burbank, CA. Vis: 100-170 ft. Water: 84-86 degrees. Sunny, rainy, cloudy, currents. Five star resort: cable TV, robes, stocked mini refrigerators and lush tropical grounds. Decent restaurants in town: Thai Cafe good enough to warrant a second visit. Sam's Dive Tours excellent. Groups divers according to skills, then allows them to do their own thing or stay with the group. Thorough pre dive reviews.
Sam's Dive Tours/Desekel Hotel, February 1999, Luiz Tadeu Salazar Queiroz, S. José dos Campos, Brazil. Second trip to Palau, the first in 1997. Less sting rays, and no manta or eagle rays. Lots of coral bleaching. Most affected areas where currents aren't strong or absent, like inside reefs and places like Big Drop-Off and Short Drop-Off. Dives in Peleliu island were less affected. But fish life outstanding, sharks galore, encircling barracudas, tons of jacks. February is Chinese New Year time, so some dive sites are crowded, lots of Japanese divers. Once there were 10 boats in Blue Corner, at least 100 divers underwater! Best time is March or April, as weather is good and no crowds. Blue Corner, even "hosting" 100 divers at the same time, worth the trip, one of the world's best dive sites. Don't miss Chandelier Cave and Peleliu Wall too. Desekel hotel is clean, noiseless, good air-conditioned room, at Koror downtown, over a supermarket, conveniently situated, employees friendly. Sam's Dive Tours well run and organized, very good dive guides. Weather unpredictable, most days sunny, but two days we had big storms (diving wasn't spoiled). Water a constant 82° F and vis. averaged 70 ft. . . .On my sixth day, at the end of first dive, due to a miserable mistake I did a too fast ascent. My computer registered 91+ ft/min. My max depth was 70 ft. As I didn't feel any symptoms, I did the second dive, max depth was 70 ft. Both were no-decompression and I finished them in the safety computer zone. 4 hours after the second dive, I felt tingling in left forearm. I stopped the dive and headed to Palau National Hospital, where I had good assistance. Diagnosis was DCS so I had to go to hyperbaric chamber for 5 hours. My symptoms disappeared after a second session, 20 hours later, for 6.5 hours. Total chamber time: 11.5 hours. Cost: $4,300 (I had my DAN Master Insurance Plan!). Diagnosis: Type II DCS. Following DAN recommendation ("it's advisable to not return to dive if you had Type II DCS"), my 8 years of scuba has ended. I am still sad. It wasn't an easy decision, as I love scuba diving too much. So, I'm trying to forget it and not read any report or article. I'd like to say that it was a true pleasure to have been a subscriber of a so serious and trustworthy magazine like Undercurrent.My best regards. I wish you wonderful dives.
Sam's Dive Tours/Palau Pacific Resort, April 1999, Shep Griswold (grizzy@nwlink.com), Kirkland, WA. Vis: 50-100+ ft. Water: 86 degrees. Sunny. Water: calm. Restrictions: None. PPR is legendary in its care for guests. One couple got married here and the PPR staff went all out. Rooms were great, clean, AC works well, clean water. Food rocks! Buffet morning and evening. Show every night, usually with kids and very fun. Their own beach, bar on the beach or in the lobby. Ex-resident of Washington state, Sam, has been running Sam's Diving for 8 years. Splash is at the PPR; big boat full of divers. They can't come close to the speeds of Sam's smaller faster boats. Dive spots are far away so this is important. Matthew the divemaster has a nasty habit of bringing his camera and hogging subjects to the point of annoying the people he's being paid to escort who also brought cameras. Other than that the DM's were good. Boat rides are a real hoot. Poker has lived there all his life. He takes people through Rock Islands Arch at 45 miles an hour (how the boat fits I don't know!) Reefs at Blue Corner have been mauled to death. Between bleaching and Japanese laying all over the coral there is little alive at the corner itself. Before you condemn me for putting all Japanese in a negative category here, let me explain. Twice I saw a group of Japanese swim in front of us while we were using our reef hooks. In both cases the divemaster signaled to the group to rise over the wall and making a grabbing sign told them to grab on with their hands. After they had grabbed on they proceeded to let air OUT of their BC's and lay down on the coral. Then they proceeded to take pictures of themselves instead of the sharks and cuda going by. They are given these gloves so that they can grab on like this. Now I am off my soapbox.
Sam's Dive Tours, June 1999, Bill Beann & Margaret Kearns, Santa Barbara, CA. Vis: 75-100+ ft. Water: 82-84 degrees. We visited Palau in '89 and '91; things had changed. Traffic, high rise hotels and supermarkets. World class diving was not as good as remembered. Less large fish, less pelagic and El Niño had killed some coral. Sam's has grown from personalized one man show to a large, organized, safe America friendly dive operation. Sam and his staff do an excellent job. Palau diving is expensive but whatever you want to do for an island adventure Sam can do it for you. Too much emphasis on tipping from dive guides.
Sam's Dive Tours/Carolines Resort, July 1999, Gar and Emily MacRae. Vis: 50-70 ft. Water 84 degrees. We liked land-based staff and boat captains but divemaster ignored our requests to dive other spots so we ended up diving Blue Corner three days in a row. Not that Blue corner isn't great. Hooking onto the reef, flying like a kite and viewing pelagics was great but we only had five days of diving and could have checked out two other dive spots instead. Drift diving, wrecks, schools of barracuda, number of sharks, jacks, turtles and reef fish, rays, dolphins and mantas made up for the reduced visibility. Blue Corner gets crowded so be careful! Splash dive boat ran over my wife when we were at 2 ft. Luckily I grabbed her and pulled her out of the way unscathed. . . .Carolines Resort. Absolutely loved The Carolines. Quiet, romantic jungle atmosphere. Staff was fabulous. Zeanie and her crew bend over backwards to lay Palau at their client's feet. Carolines guests have pool, beach and restaurant privileges at Palau Pacific Resort, just down the road. Sat high on the hill overlooking the Rock Islands in our own private hardwood bungalow. (There are 7 bungalows. We recommend #7, but #5, and #6 are good alternatives if #7 unavailable.) They serve breakfast only but will bring you dinner if you order from a local restaurant. Best Food: Thai Cafe, green chile curry and Fuji's for seafood and Japanese. Travel Tips for frequent fliers. It only cost us 20,000 frequent flier miles (Continental) to go to Palau from Japan vs. 65,000 from Los Angeles. Economy tickets to Japan can get as low as $600 from the west coast. So you can spend less and save miles for future trips.
Splash/Palau Pacific Resort, June 1999, Rosemary Kurtti, New York, NY. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 82-85 degrees. Restrictions: max. depths recommended. Long boat rides to and from site, better to do a live-aboard. Dead and bleached coral. Currents milder than expected, reducing the number of sharks. Spend 2 few nights at the Palau Pacific Resort after a live-aboard and pamper yourself. Beautiful islands - gorgeous sunsets. (Telephone 680-488-2600; Fax 680-488-1606 or 680-488-1601) Storyboard Beach Resort/Peleliu Divers, March 1999, Karl Schneider (kschneid@alaska.net), AK. On Peleliu Island in southern Palau; 15 minutes to sites at south end of Peleliu, 20 minutes to Blue Corner; avoids long runs from Koror, allowing flexibility to schedule dives around currents. Gets you away from congestion of the city. Only other dive operation in area is Carp Island, which caters to groups from Japan. Located at the edge of the village. Six double occupancy huts. Facilities are rustic. Buildings are run down and the grounds are a bit overgrown. Godwin and Mayumi Sadao, managers, are upgrading as resources permit. We found the place comfortable. The generator runs from 6 PM to 6 am. Mayumi's cooking was excellent. Atmosphere on the island is friendly. The site of a WWII battle, Japanese caves, wrecked landing vehicles, guns, and other debris scattered around. Resort has several videos and articles on the battle; tour $25 for the two of us (but we got stuck for vehicle rental of $50). Peleliu Divers: Godwin is divemaster, Hendrix is boatman and one boat, typical of the smaller boats used in Palau. 2 to 9 divers. Boat, motors, rental gear well maintained. Godwin is an excellent divemaster and got people to see the best things while dealing with strong currents. He lent us reef hooks (a large, blunted hook on a 10-foot lanyard tied to a BC strap) allowing us to hook on a dead spot on the reef and fly in the current (up to 4 knots) and watch sharks and fish. Made the experience easier and more enjoyable. Sharks on most dives, schools of barracuda, Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, many turtles, clouds of schooling fish, lots of colorful reef fish, feeding manta rays, dramatic blue holes and caverns; most of the hard coral was dead. According to Godwin water temp got into the mid 90s killing most hard corals. Biologists expect it to take decades to recover. Saw few things that live on the reef such as scorpionfish, nudibranchs and other critters. Things that live off the reef such as butterflyfish were abundant, as were the larger open water fish. Spectacular areas of soft corals. Diving was great. (pdivers@palaunet.com; phone/fax is (680) 345-1058)
Sardelli, Larry (Lsardelli@feldinc.com) I was fortunate to make my first visit to Palau in June 1988. The diving was so superior, so amazing that shortcomings or inconveniences that may have existed at that time became insignificant. The place was magic. Over the past twelve years, I've noticed changes that weren't necessarily beneficial, e.g., in 1995 I noticed the proliferation of Taiwanese fishing vessels in the harbor and plying the nearby waters with the blessing of the local government. I've just returned from my sixth visit and shock has turned to horror. The huge Napoleon wrasse that was always at Blue Corner ("Big Al") is no longer there. They say he disappeared a year ago and they think he ended up on some dinner table somewhere. Jellyfish Lake no longer has jellyfish. You can no longer see Manta rays at German Channel. There are plans underway to build hotels, condos and at least one golf course. Who in the world goes to Palau to play golf anyway? I guess that's the only enjoyment one will be able to pursue there once the diving is completely and irreversibly destroyed. TrukThis is the world's most diverse wreck diving on hundreds of Japanese ships sunk during a battle in WWII, with lionfish on the bridge, giant clams on the deck, and bottles of ink and erasers for students of the vanished Japanese Empire still visible in the hold.... Most wreck dives other than on superstructure are deeper, in the 80'+ range, but there's fine diving even without wreck penetration.... Expect calm water, occasional poor visibility, little or no current, and temperatures that can hit the high 80s.... Given the scuzzy town and mediocre hotels, consider the Truk Aggressoror the Thorfinn.... Blue Lagoon, September 1998, Al Krenz (AKrenz993@aol.com), Countryside, IL. Vis: 50-100 ft. Diving the wrecks awesome and humbling. Divemasters were good and knew where to take us. Did "safe" penetrations on many ships. Saw trucks, munitions, saki bottles, and equipment. Coral growth on wrecks was magnificent. Very good rinse and gear storage facilities. Dive shop well equipped. Lot of lionfish. On many wrecks the torpedo holes could be seen. (Telephone 800-843-8956 or 800-527-5228 (CA) or 691-330-2796; Fax 691-330-4307)
Blue Lagoon/Truk Stop, February 1998, Julia Martin, M.D., Eagar, AZ. Vis: 40-70 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Best diving we've experienced! Truk Stop was quite adequate and is in town which allows one to wander around and shop for groceries. Majority (60-70%) of divers were Japanese. Truk Lagoon is 40 miles across and the graveyard of the Japanese fleet in WWII (thanks to U.S. mission "Hailstone" in Feb. '44). Most of the sixty ships are at depths beginning at 10' and reaching down to 60'. The ships have the most luxurious coral we've ever seen! Hard to beat this location for either coral, tropical fish or wreck diving. Dive boats pick you up at hotel pier.
Blue Lagoon, June 1999, Arthur F. Graf, San Antonio, TX. Resort: Old, run down, new management and ownership; full crew remodeling and fixing it up. When finished it should come up to a low average. Meals limited and expensive. Probably due to the main restaurant being shut down for remodeling. Day dive boats are satisfactory, canvas topped twin outboards. 2850# was the average fill. Briefing OK. Visibility about 30'. Most dives about 100 feet and led, with no time to set up for photography. Good wreck dives and good wreck penetration. Night diving a disaster, three dive boats on one wreck: all you could see was dive lights and other divers. Blue Lagoon/Blue Lagoon Hotel, June 1999, Rosemary Kurtti, New York, NY. Hotel under renovation, constant noise from construction and workers. Food plentiful, repetitious, friendly staff. Wrecks well preserved, great coral growth. Two dolphin encounters - one at 50 feet, the other at 15 feet. Dive operation more than adequate. We were 17 so they divided us into 3 separate boats. Divemasters helpful and good divers.
Blue Lagoon/Truk Continental, June 1998, Robert P. Praisner, Bedminster, NY. Vis: 50-150 ft. Water: 80 degrees, Pony bottle useful. Relaxing wreck diving. Penetration of all wrecks. Maximum number on boat (4). Divemaster carried extra tank. Great photo opportunities and not just ships and planes.
Yap
Yap is a very traditional island group: bare-breasted women,
men in loincloths (thu), and huge wheels of stone money quarried in Palau and
hauled to Yap in open boats. The people are extraordinary sailors, having navigated
the Pacific for thousands of years.... Reputedly the best betel nut in the South
Pacific, useful for trading or gifts for locals on other islands.... Inexpensive
restaurants and hotels.... Guaranteed mantas with Yap Divers.... There are steep
coral-covered walls and dropoffs and plenty of fish.... Expect clear water except
in the entrance of the lagoon where mantas pass.... Water temperatures are in the low- to mid-80s....
Yap is a good two- to three-day add-on to a Palau trip. Beyond the Reef/Pathways, December 1998, Jeffrey Jenner, Gilroy, CA. Water: 85 degrees. Friendliest people on Earth. People at Pathways were accommodating. Rooms native and quaint on a lush tropical hillside. Beyond the Reef met our wishes. Small operation, 5 per boat. Small, fast boats. Needs camera bucket or tank. Mil Channel mantas were in your face, unbelievable. Low key, relaxed diving. Never hurried or rushed. Put up with my non-working camera tantrums diplomatically. Jessie is truly a platinum diver. (Tel/Fax 691-350-3733)
Beyond the Reef/ESA Hotel, December 1998, Marilyn Koukol (koukol@icscjp.co.jp), FPO, AP. Vis: 20-80 ft. Restrictions: one hour time limit. I enjoyed the Mantas. Wonderful going with Beyond the Reef; only 3-4 people in our group. Went to other channel where there were plenty of Mantas and no other divers. Didn't have to sit at the cleaning station. We'd move up the channel and find mantas over lettuce coral heads. The FSA Hotel was reasonable, clean, and air conditioned. Jesse a great dive guide. Also saw gray and white tip sharks. Coral not bleached as bad as Palau.
Beyond The Reef/Pathways, March 1999, Bob Hill (Rhill43010@aol.com), Apopka, FL. Vis: 25-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Sunny. Water: calm. Restrictions: Recreational limits. Most dives were to a manta cleaning station, so rather controlled diving. 18-hour day from Florida to Guam; time difference of 15-hours so we were totally screwed up. Continental Airlines rep in Orlando had tagged bags to Palau, despite our 4-days in Yap. Baggage person in Guam tracked down the luggage as the plane had not yet departed and got our bags. Overnighted at Hotel Mai Ana, five minutes from the airport; an acceptable crash pad. Two bedroom studio $90. One hour flight to Yap departed 5 am. Main island of Yap is 16 miles by 6 miles. Greeted by a nice young local wearing a grass skirt, lei, head wreath and a big smile. She placed a garland of leaves around our necks and welcomed us to Yap. Yes, she was topless! Still a custom in Yap. Vehicle from The Pathways was waiting for us, a converted pick-up truck with the back rebuilt to look like a thatched hut. 15-minute drive to The Pathways. Pathways is unique and wonderful. Eight thatched roof cottages constructed of local materials on the side of a hill overlooking a lagoon. Each unit blends in with the lush vegetation, is air conditioned, has two ceiling fans, a king size bed,a small refrigerator, and a balcony with an outstanding view of the lagoon. Wooden walks and stairs connect the cottages with the main desk and dining area. Family owned and operated hotel. Staff friendly and helpful. Beautiful cut flowers the tables in the open dining area, on our bed pillows and in our room. $125/night plus 10% tax. Manta Ray Bay Hotel looks like any stateside small hotel on the water and we were not impressed. (Rates at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel were comparable). However, the meal there was outstanding: Cajun Wahoo. Just finishing the kitchen area at The Pathways, but they did provide an excellent breakfast. Had two-tank dive with Beyond the Reef (BTR) the afternoon of our arrival. The hotel took us to the marina that would have taken us but ten minutes to walk, however, we had all our dive gear. BTR is operated by a Florida ex-pat, David Vacella, who has a nicely run operation. Nice wall at Gillman Point to Lionfish Wall, followed with the second dive at "Barge." Vis was 100 foot plus in extremely clear water with a multitude of tropicals. Left our gear at BTR where it was locked up. The following morning, it was on the boat and completely rigged. Each two-tank dive included a filling lunch prepared by the restaurant next door to BTR. The following two days we did morning dives looking for mantas. Because of the channel location, visibility is not great. The idea is to weight heavy, swim to the cleaning station, sit on the bottom and wait for the Mantas. The guides directed us to the better vantage points. There were divers from other operations so people are jockeying around. I had a 14-foot (wing span) manta come out of the gloom directly toward me with its mouth wide open. My video camera was shooting right down its throat checking its tonsils. It gracefully turned and brushed my head and the camera housing; you can hear the scraping in the audio of the video and I captured a close-up of his eye and gills. (Boat operators helpful of photo needs and took good care of photo equip). Second dive would also start at the manta cleaning station, but then we would slide off into a reef dive. Fair current, fish life was spectacular. Being from the U.S. where we have a rather prudish outlook toward the human body, it was interesting to see many Yapese women walking around the small town bare breasted. We encountered them walking, doing their chores such as one sweeping a parking area in front of a store and in the local market. (We were concerned about them leaning over the frozen food counters). All men and many women are constantly chewing beetle nuts. While it produces a low grade high, it also provides the puffy cheek as they chew, the difficulty in understanding a speaker who has a mouthful, and red stained teeth. U.S. currency is used in Yap. Took a cultural tour with Lawrence, associated with The Pathways. Six-hours included a fascinating visit in a local villages, learning of the culture, the people, the direction things are going. Several men talked with us as we sat in the open sided thatched roofed meeting house. We were served fresh cooked fish, taro root and a villager cut open coconuts. Lawrence took us to a Men's House, an enclosed thatched structure, where women are not permitted. Yapese don't have much but don't seem to want for much either. Yap is noted for impressive stone money, some up to 9 feet in diameter. The worth is determined by the diameter and smoothness. The smaller stones may be valued at $35/square inch while the larger ones may carry a value of $350/square inch. Some land transactions are still paid for with stone money. Cecelia, one of the hotel dining room staff had promised to come to the hotel to say good bye at departure. She did not show, but she and her husband, Gordon (one of the dive staff at BTR) and their two young children showed up to say good-bye at the airport. The people of Yap are like that. A lengthy stay is not necessary, four days was just about right. (The Pathways Hotel, P.O. Box 718, Colonia, Yap 96943; Phone: (691) 350-2488, Reservations: (691) 350-3310, Fax: (691) 350-2066; Internet: http://pathwayshotel.com/index.html; email: pathways@mail.fm. Beyond The Reef, P.O. Box 609, Yap, FSM 96943; Phone: (691) 350-3483, Fax: (691) 350-3733; Internet: www.diveyap.com; E-mail: beyondthereef@mail.fm, Airport Hotel Mai' Ana (Guam) 253 Chalan Pasajeru St Tamuning, Guam 96911 U.S.A, Phone: (671) 646-6961 or (671) 646-6964, Fax: (671) 649-3230; Internet: www.maiana.com; E-mail: maiana@ite.net
Yap Divers, September 1998, A. Krenz (akrenz993@aol.com), Countrysidem IL. Vis: 25-75 ft. Dive restrictions: stay with divemaster. Typical manta dive brings you to a feeding station where you are on your knees in a semicircle waiting and watching. Try to book an extra dive to the Valley of the Rays. Can be spectacular. Divemasters good and boats adequate. Nice facility for dive gear rinse and storage. (Telephone 691-350-2300 or 691-350-2300; Fax 691-350-4567 or 691-350-3841 or 691-350-4110 )
Yap Divers/Manta Ray Bay Hotel, November 1998, Lori Fulton & Carl Bloomer, Elgin, IL. Vis: 25-40 ft. Water: 80-85 degrees. Hotel is well appointed, staff friendly and helpful. Food excellent. Village tour wonderful. Saw one manta in four dives. Visibility and diving conditions vary greatly. We had poor visibility and one dive had current strong enough to give Blue Corner a run for the money. Few fish and a dive spent gripping the coral as the divemaster moved each diver one by one to the anchor line. Told that current was not typical, but mantas are not as prevalent as the mags would have you believe. Can't say don't go, but add it onto Palau or Truk or you're liable to be disappointed by the misleading ads and reporting.
Yap Divers/Manta Ray Bay Hotel, November 1998, Hans Menco, Pittsford, NY. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: mid 80's. Hotel accommodations comfortable. Quality of food very good but repetitious Land tour highly recommended. Everybody is service oriented. Dive operation good and dive guides and photo shop pros helpful. Manta dives spectacular, mantas come within touching distance but do not touch strictly enforced. Rest of diving mediocre for Pacific. Well worth for 3-4 day stay.
Yap Divers, March 1999, Kendall Botellio, Phoenix, AZ. Vis: 15-80 ft. Water: 83-84 degrees. Dive restrictions: dive within computer limits. Hotel and food excellent. Shark dive awesome! Worth the extra money! Manta dive excellent even in bad vis. Walls are very healthy and lots of big pelagics!
Yap Divers/Manta Ray Bay Hotel, April 1999, Shep Griswold (grizzy@nwlink.com), Kirkland, WA. Vis: 30-150+ ft. Water: 84 degrees. Weather: sunny. Water: calm. Time restrictions requested. Hotel basic but large rooms, clean, AC if you need it. They stole chef Bill Munn from the PPR in Palau and food here is fantastic! He buys the fish from local boats. Wife is a baker; the banana bread and other baked goods were always fresh and yummy. Small bar stayed open as late as we did but we went down the street a few times to places called "O'Keefes" and the "Marina," where there was music ... also where the Peace Corps gals hung out. Dive guides: Yap's from Holland and Sam is an Aussie Patricia is the wife of the owner (Bill Acker). She was especially good ...take the Kayak tour that she leads. I wish I had spent a week here. Bill told me that some customers are p.o'd when they are brought to Sacura reef ... because you won't see big animals there ... but so many of our party were moved by the beauty that the hard coral reef gave us, that it remains a lasting memory.
Yap Divers/Manta Ray Bay Hotel, April 1999, Kay Greeley (kaycarlson@earthlink.net), Simi Valley, CA. Vis: 40-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Rainy. Water: choppy. Restrictions: Only expected procedures related to diving with Mantas in Mil Channel. No accommodation for photographers on boats. Fresh water rinse tank next to the gear tank, but other divers would put their gear on top of the cameras in the tank! Wonderful greeting at the airport from the Tourist Bureau and the hotel staff had an eye out for us right away. Room was large and comfortable, though we fought to get soap. The morning coffee delivered to our room was a nice treat. Grilled fish was out of this world. The breakfast buffet was the same each days, but all food was above average, including the desserts. Chef Munn always knew what we had ordered and would ask us how something in particular was when we saw him around the hotel. Hotel showed consideration only to a group (20) from Seattle. Those of us that had come as individuals were virtually ignored. Manager's cocktail party was canceled because the "big group" plane was late, so we received no orientation to our $850 package we had paid for. Staff was lackadaisical about our questions. Manta Dives were ruined for us because Yap Divers was catering to the large group and would drop them right on us. Once, we had to sit in rain and choppy seas for an hour waiting for the large group. They ferried our group to a bus at the end of the island. Our gear was heaped on the beach and some items were broken; everything got filthy. Everything revolved around the convenience of the big group. After reading Undercurrent,I was excited about the Cultural Tour, which was included in our package. At the last minute, the "big group" decided to go, so our leftover group of ten was sent to another village. There was no explanation, tour, bathrooms, water, food or any other activity. We stood for several hours in the mosquito ridden area. The villagers seemed to resent our presence. Finally, the BBC arrived to film the village. The women then performed a traditional chant. We were rudely informed that we were to stay far in the background and that we could not take pictures, as it would interfere with their filming. We got back to the hotel at 9:30 p.m. Last dinner call was at 9:00, so the staff was quite upset. Service disappeared and/or was rude. Also, the tables near the picture windows were all reserved for the "big group" every day, so we always got to sit near the kitchen, even if they weren't in the dining room. To top it off, we were charged almost $400 extra on our bill for diving, meals and the "cultural tour" that were already included in our package. When I tried to get the bill corrected (very nicely I must add), the clerk only shrugged his shoulders. I only got attention when I stated that I would be writing of this experience to Undercurrent.The manager then stated that I should have nothing to write about since the bill was corrected to what it should have been! Our room was right next to the outside bar and drunk divers kept banging on our windows all night. Lower rooms have waterbeds; if you have bad backs, expect a very uncomfortable stay! (We are very experienced California divers used to rough conditions. We do not complain overly but we do hope to get what we paid for). The experience was especially disappointing because it was our honeymoon. The final insult: at the airport Bill Acker arrived and came up to each of us, stating that he "enjoyed getting to know us". He had never spoken a word to us.
Yap Divers/Manta Ray Bay Hotel, May 1999, Richard Litsch, Santa Rosa, CA. Vis: 30-100 ft. Water: 85 degrees. Group diving. Mantas were awesome, but it took three dives to locate them. If the mantas are not there the dive is boring. Other dives on the outer reef were just OK compared to Palau. One drift dive over Manta Ridge was memorable with schools of sharks, large grouper, mantas. Good place but I wouldn't stay too long.
Yap Divers/Manta Ray Bay Hotel, August 1999, Alan Kempner (Alan_Kempner@Gale.com, San Bruno, CA. Vis: 30-130 ft. Water: 78-80 degrees. Sunny. Water: calm, choppy. Restrictions: Divers on tables must dive their plans. No restrictions on computer divers. Hotel-based photo shops with See & Sea MX-10 rentals. On site slide development. Videographer on dives, video for sale. Good trip. Yap is worth a week. Hotel is designed by divers for divers. Rooms clean and comfortable, and air conditioning worked fine. Lockers and boat departures by the dive shop. 45-minute trip to the farthest location. After the trip, the guides rinsed gear for us. Restaurant had a gourmet chef, the food was really good, something new every day. Wasn't cheap, but high quality. Staff friendly and helpful. Nice to sit in the outside bar and watch the sunset. Village cultural tour was fun. Except diving, not much to do here. No nightlife. I had a 12-dive package, but I could add 5 extra dives for a nominal price. Nearer reefs showed some bleached coral, but outside reefs were pristine and bursting with life. Trip worthwhile just for the manta rays. Spectacular! Saw them every day. We wasted time looking for them in Gofnu Channel (their summer location) with poor vis and heavy current. But when we checked in Mil Channel (their winter location) we saw 16 in one dive, plus 14 adult and 30 juvenile grey reef sharks, 6 eagle rays, 1,000 blue trevallys, and 500 black snappers, all in one dive! Truly world-class!
Yap Divers/Manta Ray Bay Hotel, August 1999, J.W. Phillis (sbphillis@aol.com), Southfield, MI. Vis: 30-60 ft. Water: 86-88 degrees. Sunny. Water: calm. Asked to follow divemaster's instructions in the Manta Channel. Incredible opportunities to dive close to mantas in the 'Valley of the Mantas', with reliable sightings on each dive. Vis for photography sometimes limiting. Hooked onto the bottom or sides of the channel as mantas swim slowly overhead. Excellent diving on the oceanside of the reef with drift dives at Paaw and Tradewinds reefs; corals in great shape. At the southern tip, Gilmaan and Lionfish Wall have great drop-offs with swim-thrus at Yap Caverns. Macro photo ops. plentiful in shallow lagoon close to the hotel. Diving from boats holding 8-10 divers. Accommodations first rate; chef Bill Munns produced superb meals. Kayaked in the mangrove swamp, led by Pat Acker, with a visit to a Yapese long house surrounded by ancient money stones.
| Online Members
Home | Public Home | My
Account | Renew
| |