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Where It's At
The Republic of Palau (known locally as Belau)
is a separate principality southwest of the Federated States
of Micronesia. Palau is a group of 343 islands spread over
a 100 mile stretch.
Lying south of Kokor, the 200 formations known as
the Rock Islands are uninhabited rounded, jungle covered
islands. They are limestone formations which appear to float
on the water due to the fact that the bottoms of the islands
are narrower than the tops.
Top Palau Dive Sites
Palau is famous as an exceptional dive spot. Tourists come
here to experience dive sites such as Blue Corner, Peleliu
Express, and Ulong Channel where they can experience
blue holes (dark blue subterranean caverns), drop-offs (under
water cliffs), crystal caves, pristine reefs, and Japanese
World War Two wrecks. The icing on the cake, however, is not
only to experience these islands from beneath the water but
to take a sea kayaking trip above the water through the islands.
Kayaking the Rock Islands
Sea kayaking around the Rock Islands allows you take stock
of Palau in a way that diving does not. If you leave having
only dived in this region you will have missed out on the
terrestrial ecosystems and undiscovered world of the marine
lakes and those that depend on them.
Many of these lakes harbour unique species of jellyfish and
are breeding grounds for juvenile fish including Black-tip
Reef Sharks. 1,500 species of fish populate the reefs in this
region. Cave systems within the islands also hold different
fauna and flora; the lack of light prevents coral form growing
in them so snorkelling in caves is quite a different experience.
Sea kayaking in the Rock Islands is a great experience. The
islands shelter the water so that it is calm and smooth. If
you have not kayaked before you should probably sign up for
a guided tour; if you are an experienced kayaker then you
can chart a multi-day solo kayak and make an excursion to
some of the more remote parts of Palau.
Make sure you go to Planet Blue Sea Kayak Tours, operated
out of the well-known dive shop Sam's Tours. This is
where you can book onto guided kayak tours with its founder
Ron who is a biologist and knows the waters better than anyone
else. Even if you are an experienced kayaker then you can
rent equipment and get advice on where to head.
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