Palau preserves its nature and biodiversity for locals and visitors alike
The Republic of Palau, a tropical archipelago in the Western Pacific, is known for its incomparable island landscape, pristine dive sites and world famous wonders of nature such as the limestone Rock Islands. Some of the larger islands have brackish water lakes – the most famous is probably the surreal “Jellyfish Lake” on the island of Eil Malk. On others of the mushroom islands, there are remains of the famous stone money, which made the island of Yap, 500 kilometers away, popular. While 70 percent of Palau’s population lives on the main island Koror, the entire island state consist of more than 300 islands, many of them are completely uninhabited.
Due to its unique geography, the Palauans realized early on how much they benefit from a healthy flora and fauna. Nature conservation is a living tradition, maintaining a balance with the sea was and is essential for the wellbeing of the island population. The local custom “Bul” is an example for this; the ancient practice of temporary closing certain areas for fishing so that marine life can recover. In view of this, it no longer seems surprising that the democratic island state declared its territorial waters the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009. In 2010, the protection was extended to all marine mammals, in 2014 commercial fishing was banned within the Palau sea area – the National Marine Reserve was established.
Both visitors and locals highly benefit from this. Palau’s underwater world has always been vibrant with life, which led the discoverer and diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau to say that Palau is one of the best diving areas of the world. He is right; pelagic encounters happen every day, water temperatures are pleasant and the visibility is good. Well over 1.000 species of fish of all sizes can be observed not only by divers but also by all those exploring the waters of the Rock Island swimming and snorkeling.
On the water, kayak tours and sailing cruises up to several days can be enjoyed. On land, there are museums with different themes, a Coral Reef Center, land excursions along the traces of World War II and guided tours to places of still living traditions. Or, one simply enjoys the everyday island life, because Palau is authentic, a living organism with pubs, live concerts, sports events and charming people.
A true paradise at the other side of the world.
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Photo credit: © Judith Hoppe
Palau will be featured in the next issue (Spring 2020) of Dive Travel Adventures magazine!
