YAP Dive Travel Guide - Release Scheduled for September 15th
Yes we're grinding on this one too!
We traveled to YAP and spent seven days diving prior to moving onto Palau. And yes, we went for the Mantas. So while we're working on the video, enjoy some information about the trip. We'll update the pictures and add video as we get closer to release.
Enjoy ....
The journey
Getting to YAP from the United States can be challenging. We flew through Tokyo, to Guam and onto YAP. We traveled onto Palau from here so the return was Palau to Guam to Hawaii to Los Angeles and home to Salt Lake City. It sounds like a long journey but it is worth every minute of it.
We stayed at the Manta Ray Bay Resort. The location was great as it was right on the water and the dive operation was first rate. Jan the dive operation manager had us in the water within a couple of hours of our arrival. And, as the dock is only a few feet away from the rooms it was easy to do.
Overall the Manta Ray Bay Resort is a good value. The internet was not free and occasionally iffy. But we were able to get our blog uploaded everyday.
The restaurant is on a a large ship named the Mnuw and it is docked at the resort and makes for a truly unique dining experience. The food was excellent and portions were good. The locally brewed beer was very good as well.
Diving logistics
YAP divers is owned and operated by the resort. They were very accommodating as geeks like us need space for camera gear, sound equipment and equipment repairs. We dove off of a 25 foot boat that was well set up for divers. The boat ride out to the reef averages about 30 minutes depending on where you go. The majority of our dives were on the East side of the island.
To get there we normally crossed the island through a mangrove channel that was protected and made for a smooth ride out.
Mantas, Mantas and Mantas
We went to YAP specifically to see Mantas. Our research indicated that Mantas could be found in YAP year round so we were ready to see if YAP lived up to the claim.
When dreaming about Manta sightings prior to our arrival I pictured crystal clear water and 100 foot vis. But the highest probability site to see Mantas here is in Mil Channel. Mil flows between the Mangroves and the open ocean so it is loaded with plankton thus substantially reducing the visibility. Throw in an outgoing tide and it can be really low vis. But the reward is worth the reduced vis as there were sightings of up to 15 Manta per dive.
The constant diving wore everybody out as seen her as Maria sacks out during the surface interval.
Our favorite dives sites on Yap were YAP Caverns, Lionfish Wall and Vertigo. The Mandarin Fish dive was nice but those little guys are very bashful.
The marine life
Indeed, our trip to Yap was, as promised. We did see Mantas. It was actually quite an amazing feeling to be sitting and waiting in the low vis and suddenly, out of the murky water appears a giant that glides every closer and clearer as it approaches. The movements are so graceful and purposeful. It is so tempting to try to reach out to them, but this behavior is proven to drive this elegant creature away. So we sit quietly and watch them go by, feeling very fortunate to have seen them at all.
YAP is so much more than Mantas however and many divers miss the other sites because they tend to dive Mil Channel over and over, rarely exploring the other beautiful reef that surrounds the island. Of course this means less traffic in these areas, so it is likely you will be diving a site with only your group. We saw a wide range of fish species ranging from Black Tip and Gray Reef Sharks to Crocodile Fish (as pictured above) to Leaf Scorpionfish (pictured below) to Anemone fishes.
Corals too!
There were great coral fields as far as we could see and we just couldn't get enough of them.
The Culture
YAP is as much a cultural experience as it is a diving adventure. You cannot help but love this place for it's laid back attitude and lovely people.
Subsistence living is the norm here and many of the old traditions are still intact. Betelnut is a staple on this island. Don't be alarmed when you meet a Yapese with stained red lips and blacked worn down teeth. This is from the Betelnut and most of the natives will have varying stages of this effect. They also very open to you taking a Betelnut break with them. Maria took advantage of this opportunity and got some very red teeth with our guide Theo.
YAP is a great experience. I hope you get the chance to find out.