Passport to Palau: Shark Sanctuary

"The strength and beauty of sharks are a natural barometer for the health of our oceans."
- Palau President Johnson Toribiong

On September 25, 2009, Palau President Johnson Toribiong announced to the United Nations that Palau's territorial waters and extended economic zone (EEZ) were to be recognized as the first official sanctuary for its 135 species of Pacific sharks and rays considered endangered or vulnerable. Because sharks do not reach sexually maturity until after several years of life and have low fertility rates in comparison to other harvested fish, sharks are vulnerable to overfishing. Thanks to the creation of its shark sanctuary, Palau forbids all commercial shark fishing within its EEZ waters which are approximately 230,000 sq mi (about the size of France).

With the assistance of Green Peace, a Palauan patrol boat escorts an illegal fishing vessel from its waters.

In a news article written in 2009, Toribiong said a recent flyover by Australian aircraft showed more than 70 vessels fishing Palau's waters, many of them illegally. "We'll do the very best we can, given our resources," he said. "The purpose of this is to call attention to the world to the killing of sharks for commercial purposes, including to get the fins to make shark fin soups, and then they throw the bodies in the water."

Creation of this shark sanctuary was a matter of self-preservation for Palau as well as an understanding of our oceans. Sharks play a significant role in keeping a coral reef system healthy by means of balanced population control. A large amount of tourists come year after year to dive the spectacular reefs of Palau. Not caring for its precious marine life resource would lead to a drop in tourism and a sharp decline in Palau's economy. Along with creating the shark sanctuary, Palau banned the practice of bottom trawling where fishing boats used giant nets to drag along the bottom of the ocean, generally leading to the destruction of everything in the net's path.

Thanks in large part to the creation of Palau's shark sanctuary and other conservation efforts, today it is easy to enjoy viewing sharks while diving in the crystal clear turquoise waters of this Pacific island nation. Remember to take a moment to breathe in the beauty of its reefs while being awed at the spectacular array of marine life during your dive.

Passport to Palau: Jellyfish Lake

Often when people speak of Palau, they can't help but mention their delightful visit to Jellyfish Lake. It is like no other experience - swimming among the beautiful golden jellies. Snorkeling this lake is a popular tourist activity and an unusual phenomenon not to be missed.

Several tour operators in Koror will take groups to Eil Malk island, just a 45 minute boat ride from Koror, to this land-locked marine lake. Eil Malk is part of the Rock Islands, a group of uninhabited islands in Palau's southern lagoon located between Koror and Peleliu. The lake is accessed by a short, somewhat steep trail from the beach over a rocky limestone hill. Bring good footwear that you don't mind getting wet, such as hard-soled dive booties or Teva sandals for the hike.

Jellyfish lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and tunnels in this island's ancient limestone reef. The isolation of this lake has led to an unusual transformation of its resident jellies. Over the course of a millennia, with no predators to fend off, the golden jellyfish have lost their sting. They spend their days leisurely pulsating across the lake, following the sun and feeding on algae.

The age of the lake is estimated to be around 12,000 years old. Only snorkeling is allowed in the lake for two reasons: 1) because bubbles from scuba are believed to get trapped under the jellies' bell and damage them, and 2) because of an anoxic (non-oxygenated) layer that at exists at an approximate depth of 50 feet.

The stratification of the lake is caused by conditions which prevent or restrict the mixing of water vertically. These conditions include:^[1] 1) The lake being surrounded by rock walls and trees which substantially block the wind flow across the lake that would cause mixing, 2) The primary water sources for the lake (rain, runoff and tidal flows through tunnels) are all close to the surface, and 3) The lake is in the tropics where seasonal temperature variation is small so that the temperature inversion that can cause vertical mixing of lakes in temperate zones does not occur.

All organisms that reside in Jellyfish Lake live in the upper oxygenated, somewhat turbid layer, including the jellyfish, a few species of fish and copepods. The salinity of this layer is affected by rain and runoff. The lake is connected to the sea via three tunnels that lie near the surface. which channel tidal water in and out of the lake. Tidal peaks are delayed from the outer lagoon tidal changes by about 1 hour and forty minutes. Because the tidal water enters at the surface, the lower anoxic layer is largely unaffected by tidal flows.^[2]

The anoxic layer extends from about 50 feet below the surface to the bottom of the lake and the oxygen concentration in this layer is zero. The hydrogen sulfide concentration rises from about zero at the top of this layer to over 80 mg/liter at the bottom of the lake. The top ten feet of this layer contains a dense population of bacteria that absorbs all sunlight so that the anoxic layer below the bacterial plate is dark, but transparent. The anoxic layer also contains high concentrations of ammonia and phosphate which is potentially dangerous for divers, who can be poisoned through their skin. This risk is mitigated as scuba diving equipment is not allowed in the lake, thus limiting the depths to which individuals may dive.^[3]

Both golden jellies and moon jellies exist in the lake, but a sighting of a moon jelly is rare during the daylight hours because they generally only migrate to the surface in the evening to feed.  Although these species living in the lake have nematocysts (stinging cells), they are not powerful enough to harm humans. However, if you are known to have an allergic reaction to jellyfish stings, it is suggested you might consider wearing a skin for protection.

[1] Hamner, William M; Hamner, Peggy P (1998). "Stratified marine lakes of Palau (Western Caroline Islands)". Physical Geography 19 (3): pp. 175-220.

[2] Hamner, William M; Gilmer, R W; Hamner, Peggy P (September 1982). "The Physical, Chemical, and Biological Characteristics of a Stratified, Saline, Sulfide Lake in Palau". Limnology and Oceanography 27 (5): pp. 896-909. doi:10.2307/2835973.

[3] Davis, Patricia Z R; Kearns, Colby M (2007) [2005]. Koror State Government Marine Tour Guide Certification Manual (2nd ed.). Koror State Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement.

Passport to Palau: Monoliths & Story Boards

MONOLITHS

Ngarchelong is the northernmost state in Babeldoab, only an hour's drive from Koror. An amazing site of mysterious stone monoliths called Badrulchau can be found in Ngarchelong. The largest grouping of monoliths found on the Palauan islands, numbering 37 surviving, six have rough faces carved into them. The purpose of this monument is largely unknown, but some archeologists believe these stones date back to around 161 A.D. and could possibly have been supports for a massive bai (men's meeting house) - possibly constructed for the demigods. The basalt-rock monoliths, the largest stone weighing 5 tons, often remind visitors of the famous faces of Easter Island (the Moai), but archeologists have determined them to be unique to the Palauan culture. Traditional Palauan religion regarded these ancient monoliths as sacred prayer ground.

STORYBOARDS

Palauans have long been good storytellers and skilled wood carvers, but the art form of the storyboard did not come to Palau until the 1930's when Japanese artisan Hirikatsu Hijikata arrived on the scene and taught Palau's craftsmen to combine the two. The stories depicted on these boards are usually old Palauan legends, or sometimes stories from other islands such as Yap.

The storyboards are generally carved in dort (the Palauan word for ironwood). Storyboards may sometimes take up to weeks to complete, depending on its size and intricacy. When it is complete, the board may be painted, or it may be polished with black or brown shoe polish to retain its shine and show the natural color of the wood.

Some examples of Palauan legends portrayed on these storyboards are:

Ngirngemelas - the story about a brave Palauan warrior and his deeds
Uwab - a story about a legendary giant
Surech ma Tulei - the story about two lovers
Melechotech-a-chau - the legend of a giant with an unbelievably large penis

You may purchase storyboards in various shops, the Etpison Museum, or the senior center, but probably the best selection and prices will be found at the jail in Koror's town center. Make sure to take cash to the jail because that is all that can be accepted. Storyboards may range in prices from $35 USD - $500 USD depending on size and detail.

THE LEGEND OF WHY A GIRL BECAME A DUGONG IN PALAU

Once there lived an old man and his wife. One day the wife went to her taro patch while her husband remained at home. While she was away, the husband was turned into a nut tree by an evil spirit and when she returned he was nowhere to be seen. She called out for him but could get no answer and she knew something strange must have happened. She then called out the names of all the plants nearby hoping for a response. She called the lemon tree, the banana tree, the pineapple plants, the breadfruit tree and the many others but she got no response.

For a while she sat down to rest and then remembered that she had not called out to the nut tree. So she gathered all her strength and shouted loudly to the nut tree. She shouted so loudly that she caused a branch of the tree to bend and the blood dripped down from it. The wife then cried because she knew that her husband had been turned into that nut tree.

She then remained alone until one day she felt a stirring in her wound and she knew that she was pregnant. Soon she delivered a beautiful baby girl and as the girl grew up she asked about her father only to be told that he had died a long time ago and not to think about him.

The girl was very obedient and her mother treated her kindly. She was well looked after and fed but was told she must never eat the nuts from the nearby nut tree. The girl obeyed her mother's wishes.

The girl eventually became very curious about the nut tree and one day while her mother was working in the taro patch, the girl picked some nuts from the tree and cracked them. When she was about to eat the nuts, her mother suddenly appeared and the girl felt very ashamed for disobeying her mother. What she did was to put the nuts in her mouth so her mother could not see them and ran towards the sea. Her mother saw what happened however and followed the daughter begging her not to swallow the nuts. The daughter continued running into the sea and was turned into a dugong and then disappeared.

The girl had the nuts in her mouth but had not swallowed them when she was turned into the dugong. Today, one can see a bulging in the jaws of the dugong where the nuts were in the girl's mouth. [1]

[1] http://www.janesoceania.com/palau_storyboard/index.htm

Passport to Palau: A little bit of history

The ancient history of Palau is slightly muddled in mystery, but artifacts found on the islands can be carbon-dated back to as early as 1,000 B.C. It is believed that the first people to the islands came from Malaysia, New Guinea, and Polynesia. There were no remarkable encounters with people from Europe until 1783 when an Englishman, Capt. Henry Wilson, was shipwrecked on a reef off of Ulong - a rock island between Koror and Peleliu. Koror's High Chief, Ibedul, came to the assistance of Wilson and his men, who ended up staying for 3 months to rebuild their ship. After that time, many foreign explorers came to Palau's shores.

Palau was made part of the Spanish East Indies (aka the Caroline Islands) in 1885 by a declaration from Pope Leo XIII. Following Spain's defeat in the Spanish-American War, the islands were sold to Germany in 1899. Possession of Palau was once again relinquished following WWI. Under conditions of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, control of the islands was now passed on to Japan. Japanese influence on Palauan culture was immense, turning the economy from one of subsistence to a market economy, and property ownership transitioned from clan ownership to that of individual ownership. Koror became the administrative center for all Japanese possessions in the South Pacific in 1922, resulting in the town becoming a stylish metropolis with factories, shops, public baths, restaurants and pharmacies.

During WWII, battles between American and Japanese forces were fought on Palau's islands, including the major Battle of Peleliu. In 1947, after the end of the war Palau, along with other Pacific Islands, was made part of the U.S.-governed Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. As part of its mandate, the U.S. was to be responsible for improving Palau's infrastructure and educational system so that these islands could become a self-sufficient nation. In 1979, Palau voted against becoming part of the newly independent Federated States of Micronesia. It wasn't until 1994 that Palau claimed is self-sufficiency and gained its full sovereignty upon signing the Compact of Free Association with the U.S.

Today Palau is politically a presidential republic in free association with the U.S. In turn, the U.S. provides defense, funding, and access to social services. Palau's economy is based mainly on tourism, subsistence agriculture, and fishing, with a significant portion of the Gross National Product derived from foreign aid.

Passport to Palau

The Republic of Palau is located in the western portion of Micronesia, bordered by the Philippines to the northwest, Indonesia to the south-southwest and the Federated States of Micronesia to the east. Just north of the Equator (7°30'N 133°30'E) and outside of the typhoon zone, Palau enjoys a warm climate year-round, and thankfully typhoons are a rare occurrence. The average temperature is 82° with an average rainfall of 150 inches per year, keeping humidity about 82% most of the time. The most frequent rainfall is between July and October, but the sun still shines aplenty during this time. This curved archipelago in the western Caroline Islands runs approximately 93 miles north to south, and is a little over 15 miles at its widest point.

This small island nation consists of 250 islands (including the beautiful Rock Islands) encompassed within 16 states. Only 8 islands are permanently inhabited. The most populous island is that of Koror (part of the state of Koror), just south of the largest island, Babeldoab, where the capital Ngerulmud is located with in the state of Melekeok. The name for the islands in the Palauan language is Belau, likely derived from the Palauan word meaning "village". The islands vary from mountainous islands to low coral islands often fringed with barrier reefs. The large island of Babeldoab is volcanic in composition, while the numerous mushroom-shaped rock islands are made of limestone (raised coralline reef structures). The lush green vegetation of the islands against the beautiful deep blues and turquoise hews of the clear waters is truly something to behold.

With its unspoiled reefs, caves and walls, along with an unimaginable array of marine life, the tropical paradise of Palau is ranked as one of the world's best dive destinations by scuba aficionados.

Chat About Chuuk: Betel-Nut

In Micronesia the Betel nut is a form of local chewing tobacco. It is a practice found throughout the FSM, but Pohnpei and Yap have it in abundance and is an important export for the local economies.

Betel nut is a bit of a misnomer. The nut is actually the areca nut (or seed) from the areca palm which grows in the tropical Pacific and Asia. It is commonly referred to as betel nut because it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves.

The betel is a leaf off a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family, which includes pepper and kava. For those who have visited Fiji, you know the effects of kava when you have a few sips. Areca nuts are chewed with the betel leaf for their effects as a mild stimulant, causing a warming sensation in the body and slightly heightened alertness. The effect of chewing betel leaf and areca nut together is relatively mild, and could be compared to drinking a cup of coffee.

The wrap of betel leaf is commonly referred to as a quid or paan. The betel nut is split open and powdered with slaked lime (comes from coral), then wrapped up in the betel leaf. Sometimes a piece of cigarette is inserted in the wrap to enhance the effects.

The quid is then placed in the mouth and chewed. As a result of chewing betel nut, a person's saliva is turned deep red, and eventually stains the teeth. This staining is considered attractive is in these cultures.

Chat About Chuuk: Chuukese Love Stick

Nipwepweiaa (nipwepwe) – the Chuukese "love stick". Something now from days gone by, young men would carve two wooden “love sticks” with identical personal designs. A short one would be displayed in his hair. A longer one would be given to the woman of his adoration.

The tradition went that when a man liked a woman he would openly display the short love stick by day so that the woman would become familiar with his stick pattern. Then at night, he would go to her thatch hut and push the carved stick through the wall to snag her hair. The woman could then feel the design of the stick, and if she recognized it as from a man she liked, she could tug on the stick signaling for him to come in. If she did not care for the man, she simply shoved the stick back through the wall.

Another version of the love stick (also referred to as a fenai) noted that the “open display” did not occur (this may vary by regional practice) and that the girl would slip out of the hut, rather than the man coming in. This seems more sensible given the mortal danger the young man faced if caught in the woman’s home.

The stick is made from the wood of the Eengi tree which is known for its strength. The strength and shape of the stick suggests that, in a pinch, the love stick could be used as a defense if the amorous young man was caught by angry brothers or father.

Today, with the advent of concrete-walled homes, the practice of the love stick has gone by the wayside in exchange for texting each other to set up a secret rendezvous. Now the love stick is little more than a curio sold to the tourists.

TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE PRACTICES IN CHUUK

Traditionally, before a man could consider marriage, he needed to prove he had experience in farming, fishing, and boat construction. He also had to be able to build his own house. It was the belief that if a man was incapable of work, he was unlikely to be successful in marriage. When he had accomplished these skills, he would inform his parents that he was ready for marriage. The parents would then search for a suitable young woman to be his wife. When they had decided on a girl, the parents of the young man would visit the girl's parents. They would introduce themselves and state the purpose of their visit was to discuss the possible marriage of their children. If a marriage was agreed upon, the young man would then live with the girl's parents, while the girl would reside with the young man's parents up until the wedding day. Prior to the marriage, both families would prepare a feast which would be attended by the leaders of their respective families. According to custom, the girl's family would provide enough food for the man's family and the man’s family would do the same for the girl's. The abundance of food was an important status symbol.

Chat About Chuuk: Chuukese Culture

It has been determined by archeological finds that the lagoon islands of Chuuk have been inhabited approximately 2,000 years. Legends refer to the first inhabitants as coming from the nearby islands of Kosrae. Initially coast-dwellers, over time these settlers moved up the hillsides to the mountain tops, most likely for a better defensive position.

Early Chuukese society was formed into matrilineal clans and governed by chiefs. Within a clan there were three classes. The highest class, of course being the chief, second the chief’s relatives, and then the common or lower-class people. Your societal level was determined at birth. Individual rights were pretty much non-existent. The chief had control over the land and what was grown on it, all the clan’s movable personal property, food and marriages. This was the core of the Chuukese culture.

There was never a single island chief. Large, solitary clans formed villages and alliances were only made in time of war. It was only on rare occasion that the entire island would join forces to fight a common enemy. At the end of the fight, the clans would once again go their separate ways.

The pre-European clan lineage thus formed the heart of the Chuukese family unit. Chuukese culture believes in the strong bond between immediate and extended family members. Family consists of the father, mother, their offspring, the grandparents, aunts, uncles and first cousins. Like many cultures, the father is the head of the household. When he passes away, the first-born male child takes over the responsibilities. Their heritage is passed down from generation to generation orally with traditional stories, music and dance.

Chuukese have deep belief in the spiritual, including ghosts and the use of magic. An example of this might be the traditional tepwanu mask. These masks were generally not worn, but rather were put on posts around a home or village for protection from what might best be described as "evil spirits" or "malevolent ghosts".

“The story of the Devil Mask originates from a long time ago. On the island of Tol, there lived a legendary ghost that kept stealing food from the starving people. As a result, the people decided to carve a devil mask to scare the ghost away. Later on, it happened in such a way that all the people came together and wore the mask. When the ghost came to their place to steal food, it saw devils surrounding the area. The ghost got scared, ran away, and never came back.”[1]

“In the early 1980s, the Chuuk State Office of Historic Preservation conducted a series of surveys on Moen (Weno) Island, the most modernised of islands in the lagoon (Chuuk State Historic Preservation Office 1980a, 1980b, 1980c; Cordy 1980). In the Tunuuk area, as noted above, a site named Neoset was recorded but not surveyed. The survey team did not visit this site as it is regarded as “dangerous” due to the presence of “their [the Tunuuk villagers] ancestral ghost who protected Tunuuk from invaders or enemies” (Chuuk State Historic Preservation Office 1980a). Further interviews by the team with two local people established that the hilltop site was used in the past as a place of refuge for women and children during wars (Chuuk State Historic Preservation Office 1980a). In their survey of the Winipis area of Moen, the survey team also encountered another site named Neoset. This site was also considered by the local informants to be dangerous. The team was told that some Japanese officials and Chuukese died after visiting the site. They were also told that the site was originally occupied by three brave warriors named Ikeninis, Awenewn and Konopwa who “lived here to guard the Chief… from… neighbouring enemies [and] they led [the] people of Winipis in the time [of] war” (Chuuk State Historic Preservation Office 1980b).”[2]

This was a basic subsistence economy derived from the cultivation of tree crops such as breadfruit, banana, coconut, and citrus, as well as root crops such as taro and yam, supplemented by fishing. Sharing, communal work, and the offering of tributes to your chief are the fundamental building blocks to a subsistence economic system and the Chuukese culture. Small scale agriculture and various traditional fishing practices continue today.

WHAT ARE “WUUTS”?

Many of the islands within the Chuuk Lagoon are steep-sloped volcanic peaks. In fact, the word “chuuk” translates to mean hill or mountain. Evidence of early inhabitants’ migration up these slopes can be found in the large basalt platforms that remain. It is assumed that these platforms are the base of what used to be community meeting houses called “wuuts”.

[1] http://www.visit-micronesia.fm/culture/index.html#01

[2] http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_105_1996/Volume_105,_No._4/A_place_to_look_up_to%3A_A_review_of_Chuukese_hilltop_enclosures,_by_Paul_Rainbird,_p_461-478/p1

Chat About Chuuk: The Ghost Fleet

As you might recall in my previous blog, Operation Hailstone conducted by the Allied Forces in February 1944 lead to the sinking of more than 40 Japanese ships and around 500 aircraft in Truk Lagoon. A second attack occurred two weeks later leading to further losses. These ships and their crew were the casualties of WWII and became known as "The Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon" - this became their final resting place.

In the late 60's scuba explorers such as Jacques Cousteau began to draw attention to the wrecks, leading Japan to make recovery efforts to return the bodies of its lost military from their wet graves to their homeland for burial. However, a few skeletons remain littered among the wrecks. It is important to be respectful when diving these wrecks and remember that they are considered war graves. Strict policies are enforced to prevent the removal of any artifacts or marine life.  The Chuukese people regard their lagoon as an underwater monument and war museum. Some wrecks have shrines or plaques placed on them marking their remembrance.

Most of the wrecks in the lagoon can be seen clearly in relatively shallow depths and are accessible to the recreational diver. There are a number of wrecks that lie in greater depths and require technical dive training. Of course, there still are some ships that remain to be found. Below is a map from Truk Lagoon Dive Center showing the more popular wrecks to be dived.

For more information on individual wrecks, check out these links:

Truk Lagoon Wreck Map (Click on each dive site name for more information)

PacificWrecks.com (Truk Lagoon)

If you look at the list of ship names, you will notice that most have the word "Maru" in their name. What does "Maru" mean? I was told on one of my previous trips to Micronesia that in the Japanese Navy it was customary to name cargo or transport ships with the suffix maru, and that attack vessels did not have such a suffix in their name. In researching this, I have found a number of explanations for maru, but the most popular answers translate the word to literally mean "circle", or figuratively mean "powerful" or "precious". Naming Japanese cargo or passenger ships with the suffix maru apparently has become something of the past, but I guess it makes sense looking back that these ships' manifests could be considered something precious or powerful.

To get those adventurous juices flowing, I have found a very nice video for you to enjoy in preparation for your own chance to dive these amazing pieces of history.

Diving Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) a video by Brian Miller (Nov 2010)

Chat About Chuuk: History

Now that we know where Chuuk is, let's learn about how it came to be the place it is today.

Not much is known about Chuuk's first inhabitants. It is assumed that they came from the neighboring islands of Kosrae and Pohnpei about 2000 years ago based on legends and language similarities, as well as similarities in pottery. The first Europeans did not come to Chuuk until the Spanish landed in the mid 1500's. They claimed Chuuk as part of their colonial territory of the Caroline islands, but did not take much interest in these islands except for the Jesuits who stayed to perform their missionary work. Other countries such as Germany, England, France, Portugal, Russia, and the U.S. all made brief visits to the islands, but in the 1880's Spain established a dominant presence in Micronesia to claim its colonial territories.

Control of Chuuk shifted to the German Empire when Germany purchased Spain's Micronesian interests after the Spanish-American War in 1898. Once again, little attention was paid to this isolated island territory except to change its name to Truk. After Germany's defeat in World War I, under a mandate from the League of Nations and a pact with Great Britain, Truk was turned over to Japanese control. A significant migration of the Japanese population began developing the islands both economically and militarily with naval and air bases. It wasn't long before Truk became Japan's principal supply station for both merchant and military shipping. In 1941 with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan established its dominance of the Pacific and built Truk up to be an extensive submarine, surface vessel and aircraft base. Over 1,000 war and supply ships were moored in the lagoon, and 5 airfields supported nearly 500 aircraft. Due to its natural and manmade fortifications, this base was known to the Allied Forces as the "Gibraltar of the Pacific" during WWII.

What began as an early morning attack on February 17, 1944 executed by the U.S., named "Operation Hailstone", this bombardment lasted 3 days and culminated in wiping almost anything of value.  Although the larger warships had moved to Palau a week earlier, this Japanese equivalent of Pearl Harbor left a ghost fleet of 12 warships, 32 merchant vessels and 249 aircraft at the bottom of the lagoon. (Exact numbers of vessels vary depending on the source.) Japan surrendered in August 1945 and relinquished any claim to Micronesia. 

Through various alliances, Truk became a Trust Territory of the U.S. until gaining its independence on November 3, 1986 with the formation of the Federated States of Micronesia. It was then that Truk changed back to its original name of Chuuk.

 Chuuk was introduced to the world in the 60's & 70's by the scuba diving adventurers Jacques Cousteau, Al Giddings and Klaus Lindemann, establishing the lagoon as the wreck diving mecca of the world. Except for diving tourism, not much has been achieved as far as economic development after the devastation of WWII.

Chat About Chuuk

Wow, looking back at when I wrote my last blog, it has been quite some time since I have kept up with my travels. Shame on me for not finishing writing about my adventures in Kauai. Maybe someday I will find the time to get back to that.

Anyway, here we are at the start of a new year. It's 2013, and my husband Rod and I are gearing up to lead a group of scuba divers to the wonderfully warm waters just above the Equator in the Pacific. Specifically the countries of Chuuk (Truk) and Palau, in the region known as Micronesia. With only 15 days left in the countdown to departure, I'd best get my act together and write a little about the history, culture, flora/fauna and diving of these beautiful islands and what to expect during our short visit there. So let's get started with a brief overview of the island of Chuuk.

Where in the world is Chuuk you ask? Well, let's find out.

Oceania is a region on our globe which encompasses the tropical coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific. Oceania is comprised of the ethnic subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Micronesia is further broken down into the Caroline, Gilbert, Mariana, Marshall, Nauru, and Wake Islands. Furthermore, the Caroline Islands are politically divided into the Republic of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). And finally, FSM is divided into the states of Chuuk, Kosrae, Phonpei, and Yap. Wow, didn't know the answer would be so complicated, did you? For those interested, the word Micronesia is derived from the Greek words mikros meaning small and nesos meaning island. You have probably derived by now this region is indeed comprised of many small islands.

Physically located at 7°25'N 151°47'E, Chuuk is just north of the Equator, approximately halfway between Hawaii and the Philippines, and just over 600 miles southeast of Guam. The state of Chuuk is comprised of 40 municipalities; 16 fall within Chuuk Lagoon and the remaining 24 are among the outer islands. The main population of Chuuk resides within the lagoon. Chuuk Lagoon is created from the large archipelago of mountainous islands surrounded by a string of islets on a barrier reef. Weno, the island on which we will be residing during our short stay, is the main center of commerce, as well as the state capital.

Being so close to the Equator, Chuuk is blessed with a wonderful tropical climate and gentle trade winds. Temperatures average from a low of 75°F to a high of 85°F pretty much year-round. Water temperatures generally remain in the low 80°'sF. Rainfall is heaviest during the rainy season of May through November. With such a moderate climate, life follows a slower and more relaxed pace. Pack comfortable clothing, but leave the short shorts behind. If wearing your swimsuit anywhere other than at your resort, make sure to cover up with a t-shirt. Respect for elders and modesty are highly emphasized in Chuukese culture. Observe cultural norms, dress conservatively and use your manners, and you should enjoy a pleasant visit.

Chuuk's natural beauty is amazing, but please keep in mind this is a poor country and as a visitor you should adjust your expectations accordingly. Roads are not in the best of conditions and trash along the roadside is not unusual. On the larger islands, such as Weno, it is suggested you avoid going out alone after dark, especially the ladies, because the men may behave more aggressive in seeking attention. They may over-react by our standards if they feel their ego is offended or the reputation is being questioned. Chuuk is renowned for its wreck diving, but beyond that, there is not a lot of other things to do. Staying close to your resort is standard fare for most visitors.