Dry-diving in Palau

Palau has already carved its own niche in the tourism industry for its spectacular attractions and world-class diving spots. Every day hundreds of tourists arrive to sample the island’s natural wonders- both in land and underwater. Not everyone though has the chance, the financial resources or the guts to go diving and get a feel of the underwater wonders. At present, most of the visitors in the country are limited to scuba diving, sea kayaking and land-based tours but with the recent launching of the Flying Fish Tours, I finally got the chance to get a real feel of the underwater world and yet staying dry about it. Everybody on board the Kok 1 (there were less than 10 of us) waited with bated breath as the computer screen was set up and the camera was lowered into the water at the Neco Bay last Saturday. In a few minutes, we were looking into a wonderful array of corrals, colorful fish, and the whole underwater kingdom, a live video of what lies beneath the sea surface-while staying dry in our seats. The tour took two hours, with owner retired Divisional Chief of Police Columbus Sakuma at the helm. Sakuma said the trip includes a guided tour of the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), Palau Aquarium, and Rock Islands eco-adventure. We also got the chance to see several wrecks of Japanese vessels which sank and had been there since World War 2. To sum it up, it’s one of those never-to-be forgotten experiences that everyone in Palau should grab (if you still haven’t done so)-the chance to get to know Palau’s history and culture through the trip. For information, call 779-0293.