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Palau: the ultimate dive-spot?
I've been doing a lot of reading on Palau for a possible magazine story somewhere. It seems in a single decade this tiny island (the last colonial territory to gain its independence, in 1994) has almost switched its entire economy from fishing to tourism, in the form of diving. Now it's arguably the hottest dive site in the world, mostly because of the sheer numbers and variety of fish (1,500 species) and coral (700 species). This year, Palau began linking up all of its scattered marine protected areas (MPA) in the world's largest campaign to thwart coral bleaching. Though they've had a long history of sustainable fishing (codified in ancient fishing laws known as tabu), the country's recent emphasis on ocean conservation and eco-tourism is refreshing, to say the least, especially after all that we've read on the demise of coral reefs by global warming.
I've posted before about sustainable dive-trips. I feel like this may be one of the few places you could go to for scuba diving, and not feel that bad about really screwing up the environment. They're just so far ahead of the crowd when it comes to balancing tourism with conservation.
Filed under: Palau
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
selin Dec 21st 2008 7:50PM
Hi, i'd like to share a like, my page has information about traveling to Palau. You are right, Palau now, ia all the more concentrating on the tourism industry, and it is indeed one of the best dive spots. http://palau-selinwebpage.blogspot.com
Chris Dec 30th 2007 3:07PM
Palau is indeed one of the most awesome dive spots in the world - I went there for the first time back in June this year and wrote up my 3 day liveaboard here
http://divehappy.com/palau/palau-scuba-diving-liveboard-day-one/
However, there are several other dive edens in Asia. Raja Ampat in Indonesia has been declared as having the greatest marine biodiversity in the world, with its remoteness greatly contributing to its pristine reefs and spectacular marine life. But you don't need to go to the ends of the earth (with the expense that entails) to find great diving in Asia - the Philippines still has many areas that have also been protected, like Sogod Bay in Leyte, where the untouched coral attracts whale sharks
http://travelhappy.info/philippines/in-the-water-with-the-biggest-fish-in-the-world/
Lankayan Island in Borneo, Malaysia is a model of recovery from an area previously ruined by dynamite fishing.
http://divehappy.com/borneo/lankayan-borneo-paradise-under-threat/
Global warming is destroying the world's coral reefs and industrial fishing methods are wiping out the fish population - but there are plenty of examples in Asia of underwater environments that have recovered and flourished when they've been given a chance. Great diving can still be affordable and open to everyone - and it's only if more people come and snorkel and scuba the reefs that we can inject some urgency in trying to save them.