7°10'38.52"N 134°15'56.91"E
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| (from Wikimedia Commons) |
Arguably, the last Eden on Earth isn't where you would have expected it. Palau is a West-Pacific island nation in which daily life, culture and economy were bound to the sea for millennia; the reason why 80% of its maritime territory remains national heritage, thus maintaining pristine emerald green islands and turquoise waters. Uncover the fascinating Palauan society still ruled by traditional tribal chiefs, the ecological efforts of the national government to preserve such beauty, and the exotics behind Ngerukewid, one of the earliest wildlife reserves in the whole of Oceania.
First, despite keeping this deep connection with the Ocean, Palau was ironically born of fire. Once upon a time, the large Pacific plate slipped beneath the smaller Philippine plate, consequently activating a massive volcanic eruption that shaped Babeldaob and Koror Islands, the two main isles of Palau. This tectonic interaction also formed an underwater limestone reef that would lift up after more rumbling; wind and rain erosion later simplified it to a chain of tiny mushroom-shaped islands containing inland lagoons and cavities. In the present, these receive the unoriginal name "Rock Islands" and are famed among scuba divers and surfers.
Early settlers presumably arrived here in the 5th-10th centuries from the Philippines. These wanderers eventually set up their own little stone villages in the Rock Islands' caves, building terraced fortifications whose remains can still be sighted today. However, in the 17th-18th centuries, a rapid population growth and the premature effect of climate change forced villagers to move to the larger islands. The oral traditions and the deep natural co-existence educated the following generations about their great-grandfathers, who, according to mythology, were half-god half-humans. As a curiosity, the customs play such a big role in the society, that in the present, Palau is divided into 16 provinces ruled by different tribal chiefs chosen by matrilineal descendancy.
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| The tribal chiefs pose for a photo. In the middle stands Louch, chief of Koror, who has been introduced to Western fashion (Wikimedia) |
When the island was suddenly discovered by the Spanish, they remained under their authority and local chiefs were introduced to Western-styled fashion. The control of the island would change continuously in the following decades. At the beginnings of the World War I, the Japanese seized Palau from the Germans and established a big coconut business that subsequently brought modern infrastructure and a significant population of Japanese men to the island. Yet, no colonist power could find any resource such as guano or sufficient coconuts in the Rock Islands, thus leaving them unspoiled and subsequently raising local awareness of climatic change.
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| Reenforced in 2002 after a previous collapse, this bridge connecting Babeldaob and Koror was built by Japanese architects and named "Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge" making reference to the close historical ties between these two countries (Wikimedia). |
Actually, as of 1956, the representative Rock Islands archipelago of Ngerukewid ("Seventy Islands") became one of the earliest continuously protected marine life sanctuaries in Oceania. The origins of this declaration date back to said year, when the responsible tribal chief implemented a bul on the surrounding area. This is basically a strict ban that doesn't allow human entry, hunting and fishing activities or disturbance of any kind to facilitate the recovery and regeneration of fishing stocks and coral reefs. Nowadays, village elders can still implant these bans and the consequences of the violation of fishing restrictions might cost you a burned vessel. In 1994, Palau would achieve independence by signing a nuclear-free constitution in association with the USA; meaning that nuclear weapons and U.S. nuclear tests are completely illegal (unlike in neighboring countries such as the Marshall Islands), emphasizing again the earth-friendly mentality.
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| Natural rock archway (Wikimedia) |
Most notably, it is the only place on earth this size where you can find the seven existent species of giant clams and the endemic Rock Islands palm trees. Ngerukewid also serves as the natural habitat of the endangered population of Micronesian dugongs, a mammal species nicknamed "sea cows" because of their lavish seagrass consumption. These are the only ones of their kind in this part of the world ---they are most commonly found in the Indian Ocean--- and their characteristic round body and smiling face make them a very adorable species. Sea turtles, dolphins, saltwater crocodiles and Pacific bird species likewise live here.
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| The little fishes next to the larger dugong snack its parasites and poop (Wikimedia) |
Further Reading:
Sources and Picture Credits:
Sources: UNESCO, Palau Dive Adventures, Pacific Worlds, RNZ, Navigator Map, Paddling Palau, Smithsonian
Picture 1 and 3: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Path-x21 (Luka Peternel)
Picture 5: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Vardhanjp
Picture 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Aquaimages
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