As we approached Palau the sky was overcast and a mist dampened the veranda. Upon landing the fog lifted and the mist abated but the sky remained grey through the remainder of the day. A ship arrival is a big deal in this micro-nation which receives only about three ships a year. Most of the few tourists on this island arrive on the few flights that land each week. I decided to join a small group of passengers and motorboat about 10 miles into the Rock Islands and snorkel in the famous Jellyfish Lake (Ungeim'l Tretau).
Jellyfish Lake is a World Heritage site that is about 12,000 years old located in the Eli Malk island which is part of the Rock Islands which are a group of small, rocky, mostly uninhabited islands located in Palau's Southern Lagoon. The site is known for its inhabitants which are millions of golden and spotted jellyfish that have become stingless over the centuries because of their isolation and the absence of predators. The Lake is famous for its dive experience (snorkeling only allowed) because of the jellyfish. The number of visitors is limited and there is a $100 charge for admission (good for 10 days). We ran into a group of Japanese tourists but otherwise the Lake is quit isolated and a good distance from the main island. After a steep climb up and over stone stairs into the lake area we spent about two hours in the lake swimming around the large interior area constantly running into the jellyfish while we took photos of the jellyfish and each other with our underwater cameras (I relied upon my GoPro Hero 3).
Before we left the dock for Jellyfish Lake the boat staff provided several safety announcements. They warned us not to eat the jellyfish in the lake. We all laughed but apparently last year a Korean male tourist actually ate several of the jellyfish believing they were a health-enhancing delicacy. It was reported that he suffered no immediate illness (other than stupidness) but they now have to include the following announcement, "Please Do Not Eat Any Of the Jellyfish."
After the Jellyfish Lake experience we motored out to another dive site and swam above a huge reef area containing colorful coral and a variety of different fish. Another boat reported that they ran into a large group bull sharks, who do not eat humans, in the same area just minutes before we arrived.
We then motored into the port and arrived at Palau Pacific Resort where most of the ship's guests opted to lay on the beautiful beach. A few ventured into the local community of Koror to walk down the main street which is lined with small shops, public baths, restaurants, and pharmacies. There is very limited infrastructure in this Micronesian Trust territory island which gained it's independence as recently as 1994. After a 15 minute walk (round trip) there was not much more to see of the capital town.
When I worked for Continental Airlines in the 1960s I was responsible for recruiting pilots for the newly formed Air Micronesia which flew into Palau as well as a number of other Micronesian Islands. Their descriptions of the town and friendly citizens in the 1960s do not differ from what I witnessed and experienced during my short visit. A couple of resort hotels have been added but not much more. Independence has not led to a lot of improvements.
We are now on our way to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where we expect the majority of the shipboard staff to meet with their families and invite them aboard. Most of the ship staff are Filipino/Filipina. We look forward to meeting the families of many of the shipboard staff who have made our time on the ship a wonderful experience/adventure.
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