Yap

Solo vision: a grey reef shark patrols the waters around Yap at the Vertigo dive site. All photographs by Jane Morgan Friendly locals: local Yapese perform a traditional dance Healthy hard corals make for good photographic subjects Yap is famed for its resident manta rays Feeding time: grey reef sharks congregate for the weekly feed at the Vertigo site A pair of nudibranchs lay eggs at the Slow ’n’ Easy site Clown around: an anemonefish peers out Best mates: a pair of mating mandarinfish display their colourful markings Map

There are many pretty islands scattered around the globe, but few still maintain the wonderful indigenous cultures and traditions encapsulated by the western Pacific island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Part of the Caroline Islands, an archipelago that consists of around 500 islands, Yap is one of the largest in the group. It actually comprises four main islands (known as Wa’ab) and 14 outer atolls (known collectively as Remetau) that were formed by an uplift of the Asian continental shelf.

Topside, the land is a lush green with rolling hills concealed by dense vegetation. Mangrove swamps fringe much of the shoreline and an outer coral reef surrounds the group, enclosing a shallow lagoon.

Yap was known for many years as the ‘Land of Stone Money’, and large discs of stone up to 3m in diameter are still used as a form of currency today, particularly for ceremonial transactions. The value of the stone depends on its history and its difficulty to obtain. Originally, the stone was imported from Palau and other distant islands on rafts towed by canoe. However, in 1874, an Irishman by the name of David O’Keefe arrived in Yap and shipped thousands of stones to the island, using them to trade for other commodities.

Although the island has modern facilities with good schools and healthcare, the Yapese people protect their culture and still live a traditional lifestyle in their villages. Children are taught the ancient history of their people through dance, and this is demonstrated weekly for visitors by locals in traditional dress that consists of brightly coloured grass skirts and garlands of flowers. Each village has a ‘men’s house’ where the elders meet with young boys in the evening to teach them the arts of navigating by stars, fishing and sailing.

Manta Ray Bay Hotel and Yap Divers are located in the capital Colonia on the island of Yap proper. Founded by an American diver, Bill Acker, this hotel is a dedicated dive resort, with everything conveniently placed. The rooms are comfortable, and as the hotel is under British management, you will feel right at home. In the lagoon just outside the hotel is the Mnuw, a converted South Seas schooner that now houses the restaurant and bar and screens underwater footage to enjoy over a beer in the evenings.

It’s just a short hop from your room to the well-equipped dive centre, which also offers nitrox. The dive centre manager is also trained to use the local recompression chamber. If you need any advice on using your camera, there is an onsite photography and videography centre.

The diving
The underwater landscapes and marine life of Yap offer a world of contrasts. The area is not only world-renowned for its large population of manta rays, but also for the tiny and incredibly beautiful mandarinfish. Similarly, diving the channels can differ greatly from the outer reef wall.

The journey to the dive sites on the outer reef wall can take up to 40 minutes depending where you are diving, but the route, across the lagoon and through the mangroves, is magnificent. Stone money can be spotted on the banks and small bright red mangrove crabs scuttle around in the mud. It’s worth the trip, as visibility is typically superb on the outer reefs – up to 30m and more. It’s not unusual to find dolphins riding the bow wave en route to the dive site, and once your are in the water, anything could turn up. Grey reef and blacktip sharks are common, and you can see them in large numbers during shark feeds, which are organised a couple of times in the week.

Conversely, visibility in the channels and lagoon area is not great – on average, you can expect around 15m, but inclement weather and runoff from the land can worsen this. After heavy rain, the surface water in the lagoon can become quite green and chilly, but drop below the thermocline and it reverts to the usual temperature.

The channels are the place to find manta rays. The best time to spot them is from December through to April in Mi’l Channel, where they congregate in large numbers to mate. During this period, up to a dozen mantas can be seen at a time, cruising one behind the other. During the summer months, they migrate to round Yap to Goofnuw Channel; they can still be seen, but usually in smaller numbers.

Each morning, a procession of these gentle giants patiently lines up for a turn at the cleaning station. Divers can sit on the sand as they swoop majestically over their heads and then hover motionless while the cleanerfish remove the miniscule parasites that they pick up while feeding.

It’s not only mantas that you can see in the channels, though; you can often see whitetip reef sharks resting on the sand, schools of bumphead parrotfish parade along the reef tops, and even the occasional eagle ray will put in an appearance. Macro life is also visible, with delicate little leaf fish waving to and fro in the current and tiny shrimps and gobies in the sand.

Vertigo
This dive site on the outer reef is the deepest drop-off on the west coast of the island, plunging steeply down to 100m. It is also the location for the weekly shark feeds. The sharks are baited either by suspending the bait on the end of a line from the surface or by placing a crate on the reef top. Both methods results in a whole lot of sharks turning up for a free lunch. It’s mainly grey reefs and blacktips that are visible, but up to ten different types are regularly spotted. If you like big animals and adrenaline-charged dives, this is the one for you. The feeding frenzy also attracts a myriad of other fish hoping for a taste of the action, including large coral groupers. The shallow reef top, which rises up to 6m and has a scattering of hard and soft corals, is a great place to chill after the excitement of the feed.

Rainbow reef
Right on the edge of O’Keefe’s Island and only a couple of minutes by speedboat from the dive centre is Rainbow Reef, home of the mandarinfish. This vividly coloured member of the dragonet family has become a favourite of the aquarium trade. It’s unusual to see them in large numbers, but Yap has hundreds of them. The best time to see them is at sunset, when they become active in shallow water of just 5–6m. First, you see the males fighting to prove their dominance as they chase each other around the hard corals. Once a male has won the evening’s competition, he will begin to look for a mate. By the time darkness falls, you can watch the male and female rise up into the water column in a wonderful mating ritual.

Manta ridge
Everybody who visits Yap wants to see the resident manta rays. The dive guides are experienced and know the best places to spot them, depending on the time of year. Early morning on an incoming tide is ideal to see these magnificent animals arriving at the cleaning station. On the reef top, a host of cleaner wrasse and other cleanerfish rush in to remove parasites and get an easy breakfast in the process. Guests are encouraged to kneel down on the bottom so as not to stress the manta rays and interrupt their routine.

Slow'n'easy
Just a few minutes from the dive centre, this is a great afternoon dive, particularly if you enjoy hunting critters. The reef starts just a couple of metres under the water and drops down to around 20m. The visibility can be low here in the lagoon, particularly if there has been heavy rain, but it hosts numerous macro models. You can see several types of nudibranch in large numbers munching on a variety of sponges, and if you’re lucky, you can catch them mating and laying their eggs. In the sand, there’s plenty to see, including mantis shrimp and smaller shrimps and gobies. Look under all the rocks and you’ll see plenty of cleaner shrimp and large spiny lobsters. Also, the resident hawksbill turtles often put in an appearance.


Need to know

Getting there
From the UK, it is a long (at least a day) but worthwhile journey to Yap. You can choose to fly east or west, arriving at either Manila in the Philippines or the island of Guam, from where you can connect to Yap with Continental Airlines. DIVE’s correspondent flew from London to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, then onto Manila and finally from Manila to Yap. Depending on flight times, it may be necessary to overnight in Manila.

Currency
The official currency in Yap is the US dollar. There are no ATMs on the island but the hotel accepts major credit and debit cards.

Time
Yap is ten hours ahead of GMT.

Language

Yap has five languages, including the four indigenous languages of Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian and Satawalese. English is the official language in the Federated States of Micronesia and is widely spoken.

Climate
Yap enjoys a year-round warm and humid climate. The dry season spans December to April and the wet season is April through to December. Most rain falls between July and October, but even at this time you can still enjoy plenty of sunshine. The transitional months of June and November are considered typhoon seasons, although most storms tend to miss the island of Yap proper. Both air and water temperatures average 28°C year round, so a 3mm wetsuit should suffice.

Topside attractions
Yap is an interesting destination for divers and non-divers alike. As the island was occupied by the Japanese between 1914 and 1944, there are plenty of war relics to see in the jungle, including fighter planes and guns.

Visitors can take a twice-weekly cultural tour to the village of Kaday, where you can learn about traditional daily life. You are greeted by a village elder and invited to watch a series of local dances and crafts. You even have the chance to try some betel nut (see Food and drink).

A perfect way to discover the flora and fauna of the island is by kayak through the mangroves – this is also a great way to learn about the folklore and traditional herbal medicines of Yap.

Fishing tours are available and operate on a catch-and-release basis. Only one fish can be taken, which will be prepared and cooked in the restaurant that evening.

It you want to chill out after a tough day diving, the Yapese massages in the newly built spa are highly recommended.

Food and drink
There are several eateries in the Colonia area and fresh fish is always available. The staple foods on the island include taro, yam, breadfruit and sweet potato.

The Manta Ray Bay Bar and Grill on the Mnuw serves a good selection of food and there is something new on offer each evening. Manta Ray Bay produces its own beer and there are three to choose from – the Two-Step is surprisingly good.

It is traditional for the Yapese to chew betel nut. These nuts grow all over the island and are picked while green, split open, sprinkled with dry coral lime, wrapped in pepper leaves and then chewed. The lime increases the flow of saliva and the betel nut turns the saliva bright red. The effect is a mild high that lasts for around ten minutes, but beware: it can make you feel quite dizzy, and long-term use will turn your teeth red and then black.

Thanks to…
Scuba Safaris
www.scuba-safaris.com
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01342 823222

Manta Ray Bay Hotel and Yap Divers
www.mantaray.com
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+691 350 2300