YAP

Of all the Micronesian islands, Yap is most intriguing. The island culture is intact, with the people doing things the same way their forefathers did. The stone money is a good example. Yap is the only place in the world where huge, carved stones became a traditional form of money.

Stone money may date back 1,800 years, when ancient Yapese navigators sailed their outrigger canoes across hundreds of miles of open ocean, exploring neighboring islands.

A trip to the outlying districts is like stepping back in time. There are men's meeting houses built of huge logs and palm thatch. The biggest treat for a visitor is a traditional Yapese stick dance where islanders perform this ancient art in their finest dress.

Yap is the unchallenged leader of Manta Ray diving. Divers visiting this remote paradise see mantas on more dives and more mantas per dive than anywhere else in the world. Most of the Manta encounters occur in depths of 25 to 50 feet, usually inside channels that lead from the lagoon to the open sea. The mantas often line up single file in groups of four to six, taking their turns being cleaned.

These gentle giants have wingspans of 10 to 20 feet and are estimated to weigh 1,000 pounds or more.

Yap offers a wide range of superb diving experiences. There are literally hundreds of places around Yap where the diving ranges from superb to absolutely outstanding.

Gilmaan Wall - 20-160 feet (Wall dive)

The site is surrounded on three sides by open ocean and is usually a drift dive. Underwater visibility ranges from 150 to 200 feet. The face of the wall is covered with hard corals, gorgonian fans, Daisy Corals and bright yellow crinoids. The wall is honeycombed with small caves and crevices occupied by exotic reef fish of all kinds. Because of its exposure to the open sea, Gilmaan Wall is the site of encounters with Dogtooth Tuna, turtles and Eagle Rays. Dive guides have reported seeing Sailfish, Manta Rays, sharks and Whitetail Stingrays.

Lionfish Wall - 18-160 feet (Wall dive)

Drifting this wall feels a little bit like sky diving because of the 200 foot visibility. The most outstanding attraction at this site is the large community of Lionfish that lives in small caves and crevices on the face of the wall. There are literally dozens of these spectacular creatures - each of them adorned with lacy fins and slender spines.

Yap Caverns - 30 feet