For starters there is the wreck of the 19th century sailing ship the Lenora, once sailed by the feared pirate Bully Hayes. There are also three 20th century airplane wrecks to explore. One of these is the re-discovered wreck of a Grumman Albatross airplane.

The Lenora

The historic remnants of the Lenora, named for one of Bully Hayes’ twin daughters, rests in 40 feet of water in Kosrae’s Utwe Harbor. This ship was captained by the notorious 19th-century American pirate and trader who often used Kosrae as a hiding place. In I874 a typhoon whipped the ocean waters and sank the ship. It was discovered in the harbor 110 years later. Though not much remains of the ship, it is a fun bit of island lore to enjoy.

Another sailing ship from the 1800s, a wooden whaler, rests in Kosrae’s Lelu Harbor in about 70 feet of water. As with the Lenora, there is little left to see, but the remnants of the whalers’ trade are present and the diver’s imagination can fill in the rest.

Airplane wrecks

Martin PBM Mariners

There were only two Martin PBM Mariner seaplanes known to have sunk in the Kosrae area. The first is a PBM-5 which sank in 1945 and the second, a PBM-5A, which went down in 1955. One of the wrecks rests against a reef face in Kosrae’s Lelu Harbor under about 70 feet of water. The remains of the second PBM are located on the north side of the harbor, in about 60 feet of water. Historical records indicate that these planes crashed on takeoff.

The Martin PBM Mariner was a patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War period. It was designed to complement the PBY Catalina in service. A total of 1,366 were built, with the first example flying on February 18,1939 and the type entering service in September 1940.

New discoveries – another plane!

A new airplane wreck was recently re-discovered by Sleeping Lady Divers – a dive operator on Kosrae — also in the waters of Lelu Harbor. It is identified as a U.S. Navy Grumman Albatross airplane that was on a medevac mission. According to diver reports the airplane crashed nose first into the water. The plane rests at about 90 feet so dive time to see the wreck is limited even with Nitrox.

Kosrae plane wreck / Image via kosraediving.com

Tonga.SouthPacific.org is based on the Kingdom of Tonga chapter from Moon

Handbooks South Pacific, now fully updated by the original author David

Stanley. The 11 digital map files used in the printed book have been

modified for web use.

The site outlines the many sports and recreation opportunities in Tonga.

The capital island Tongatapu is ideal for surfing, scuba diving, and

bicycling. Nearby ‘Eua Island is an eco-tourism epicenter with some of the

best hiking possibilities in the South Pacific. The beaches of the Ha’apai

Group are unsurpassed, while the whale watching, sport fishing, scuba

diving, kayaking, sailing, and snorkeling are just great in the more

northerly Vava’u Group.

Tonga is also noted for its living history and culture. Polynesia’s last

king ruled absolutely from his palace in Nuku’alofa as recently as 2010

when a system of representative democracy was finally installed in Tonga.

The Tongan National Center in the capital Nuku’alofa showcases Tongan

culture and traditional dancing. Local troupes also perform at village

feasts on Tongatapu and Vava’u where the buffet tables strain under the

weight of local delicacies.

Tonga.SouthPacific.org joins similar guides to American Samoa, the Cook

Islands, Easter Island, Niue, Pitcairn, Samoa, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Wallis

and Futuna on SouthPacific.org. Easy navigation assured by two convenient

menus and a sitemap. Sightseeing, accommodations, entertainment, services,

and transportation are covered in depth, and there are complete

introductions to the history, geography, people, culture, and economy of

Tonga. Travelers have never had it so good.

About the Tonga Travel Guide

The Tonga Travel Guide at http://tonga.southpacific.org was developed from

the Tonga chapter in Moon Handbooks South Pacific. After the handbook’s

eighth edition in 2004, publisher and author decided that a ninth edition

would not be economically viable. As sales of printed guidebooks decline,

tourists are turning to the internet for free travel information. This new

online Tonga Travel Guide and related Pacific island guides on

SouthPacific.org is indicative of the switch from print to digital media.

Novice divers can watch for octopi, shrimp, and reef fish amongst the Walung Coral Gardens. Nearby the Walung Drop Off showcases resident schools of rainbow runners and barracuda with surprises hidden between the coral heads. World class snorkeling is to the east at Hiroshi Point where schools of parrotfish and eagle rays swim amidst the large hard corals. Technical divers are invited to help with a 150 ft. deep island circumnavigation goal and discover new wonders.

On the island Kosrae Village, a local eco-lodge and dive shop, offers a Divers Delight package. The package includes 6-nights, 7-days accommodations, 4 days diving- including 1 night day, and Nitrox (training included if needed) for under $1000! For those new to diving, the dive shop also provides PADI certification. This fall experience the colors and adventures of the South Pacific and Kosrae Village.

www.kosraevillage.com

Tourism officer for the Tuvalu government, Fakasoa Tealei, says sea levels are an issue that threatens Tuvaluans.

“At the same time we are holding festivals and music, games and activities and we want people to see the impacts of the sea level rise especially climate change towards every Tuvaluans who live on this earth,” he said.

Fakasoa Tealei says during a king tide there is water everywhere, and that threatens Tuvaluans all over the world.

A researcher at Melbourne’s Victoria University, Terry DeLacy, says this sort of eco-tourism is something that many Pacific Island countries are looking at introducing.

“What they’re doing in Tuvalu is a wonderful opportunity because tourism brings real export earnings, real dollars and real money into these communities which is much needed and gives great opportunities for development,” he said. “They are very challenged and vulnerable to climate change many of the Pacific islands, the most vulnerable of anywhere in the world and if they can bring that together, how good is that?”

Source: Pacific Island Report/etn

“What is more important than the short-term vision of sailing to Hawaii is the long-term vision of regenerating the voyaging skills and traditions of our ancestors,” says Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp, manager of the Pacific Voyaging Canoes project.

The Maori New Zealander says the project will build Polynesian pride and identity by highlighting the achievements of ancestors who settled small islands scattered on a vast ocean covering more than a quarter of the globe.

“Our ancestors made these canoes watertight with inadequate timber, using stone tools to drill and caulk them, lashing them together with coconut fibre rope.

“And then they made these incredible voyages thousands of years before the Europeans were confident to go out of the sight of land,” he told AFP.

Around 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, the Lapita people — believed to have first migrated from southern China before spreading through Southeast Asia — started settling the islands of Melanesia and western Polynesia.

About 1,000 years later their descendents started spreading to islands in eastern Polynesia, finally reaching the Pacific outposts of Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island.

Without maps or instruments, Polynesian navigators used the stars, sun, knowledge of sea swells and winds to steer a course for tiny islands dotting an expanse of ocean.

The great voyaging had declined by 1500 and by the time the first European explorers visited the Pacific in the 17th and 18th centuries, the big ocean-going sailing canoes were only found in a few regions.

Now, in a boat yard on an isolated arm of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, three of the double-hulled canoes for the new voyage have already been built, with at least three more due for completion by November.

The handsome and robust craft, built from a traditional design from the Tuamotu islands in French Polynesia, have twin hulls 22 metres (72 feet) in length, joined by a platform supporting a small deckhouse.

Twin masts rise 13 metres (43 feet) above the deck and a carved 10-metre steering paddle extends back between the hulls, each of which contain eight bunks and storage space.

Although identical in construction, each of the six canoes will be finished in the distintive colours, motifs and carving from the islands to which they are being sent.

While of traditional design, the hulls are made from fibreglass, and other modern materials have also been used. The right kind of logs are now virtually impossible to obtain and the use of fibreglass means the canoes will last longer.

“The important thing about the canoes is they are faithful to what the ancestors designed,” Nepia-Clamp says.

In New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, and Tahiti the captains have been chosen and crews will soon start training for the epic voyage, with a crew from Tonga possibly being added later.

The trip will pay tribute to the ancient voyages — what New Zealand historian Kerry Howe of Massey University describes as “one of the greatest human epics”.

In Vaka Moana (ocean-going canoe), a book Howe edited on the settlement of the Pacific, he says the Pacific Islanders developed the world’s first blue water technology.

“With the sail and the outrigger, they created sophsticated ocean going vessels and did so thousands of years before humans anywhere else.”

Until recent years, many historians believed the Polynesians had spread through the Pacific by accident, with canoes scattered by unfavourable winds.

“I know when I was at school I was taught that our Polynesian ancestors were accidental voyagers, they just bumped into land,” says Nepia-Clamp, who became involved in the voyaging revival 30 years ago.

“They weren’t accidental voyagers, they went backwards and forwards once they discovered a land, they were very purposeful in what they did.”

In the 1970s the Polynesian Voyaging Society was set up to revive the ancient skills of sailing and navigation in Hawaii and to prove Polynesia could have been settled using double-hulled voyaging canoes and non-instrument navigation.

Later in New Zealand and the Cook Islands, new sailing canoes were also built, joining the Hawaiian canoes in a voyage from Raiatea to Hawaii in 1995.

Now Pacific Voyaging Canoes is an attempt to broaden the revival through the region and encourage more people to learn the traditional skills.

New Zealand actor Rawiri Paratene, a star of the film Whale Rider, played a vital role in devising the concept and in obtaining funding from the German-based ocean environmental foundation Okeanos.

Beyond next year’s voyage, Nepia-Clamp wants the voyaging societies in the various islands to continue using the canoes to educate young islanders in the skills lost in an age of air travel.

He has already seen the pride created by the revival of voyaging in Hawaii.

“We went into a classroom in Molokai, the ceiling was decked out with the constellations and all of the kids could name any star that was there.

“They were proud their ancestors could find their way and they know the wayfinding skills they used.

“That is a great pride booster for any indigenous culture.”

Source: AFP/etn

When it comes to things watery and related to tourism, well an island is a likely candidate for inclusion. Saipan Island in the far western Pacific has a lot going for it and certainly doesn’t mind blowing its own promotional horn when it comes to things aquatic. The folks here are gratified even more, when someone else of note blows it for us.

Recently Yahoo Japan, widely read in that and other Asian markets, lauded the beaches here as rating in the top three “not to be missed” beach resources in the entire world. There is a lot of sand in the world, and many fine places to visit around the globe that have a share in the Sea, Sand, Sun market so the Saipanese are especially grateful to be singled out as top quality among so many other possible options. We feel digitally blessed.

On Tinian, there are “star sand” beaches (no kidding, sand shaped like tiny stars), on Saipan the gorgeous beaches of Managaha (rated the number 1 snorkeling spot in all the Pacific by those same Japanese beachgoers) and on Rota, the sugar-sand featured at the Swimmin’ Hole and elsewhere. So splendid beachery and all that goes with it, is expected there.

The native Chamorro peoples have congregated around the white (and black) sands and sparkly waters for about 4,000 years and are now willing to share a bit of this swimmers and fishers and divers paradise with the rest of us. Yahoo thinks that is pretty neat, so do the Saipanuvians and so do the lucky tourists who flock here to enjoy a few blissful days of fun and relaxation.

To those visitors, and to others who might want to come and see what all the Yahooing is about: keep those laptops in your hotel room, e-surveys and all. The ocean is our friend and a wonderful place to play but is not very kind to submerged email devices. So like US Minutemen advised regarding powder a couple hundred years ago, we now suggest that you “keep it dry.”

I must admit it is great to lounge on one of these wonderful beaches with the scent of tropical flowers and the free WiFi signals wafting about and I’ve been known to hack out an article or two with only the sunscreen between me and a crispy critter rating. Feel free to come and join me on some of the most Yahooable beaches on the planet.

On the Net: www.mymarianas.com

With a population of less than 200,000 inhabitants, New Caledonia is relatively unknown. The destination, however, has now expressed its goal to become an eco-tourism paradise in the Pacific Rim area. The government of the French Overseas Territory enjoys a high degree of autonomy with the view on 2014, year where all inhabitants will decide on their fate in a referendum on an eventual independence.

In the meantime, developing the economy self-reliance has been a priority for the government with tourism being one of the means to increase wealth for local people. “We recognize that tourism is a way to close the gap between the Southern and Northern parts of the island and boost employment especially in the North. Historically, most economic and social activities are concentrated around Nouméa, the capital city located in the South. Nouméa is close to nickel mining and is the main port for the territory,” said Jahida Majorel, head of New Caledonia Office of Tourism for Europe and France.

So far, tourism has played a small role in New Caledonia development. For years, total international and French metropolitan air arrivals have hovered around 100,000 a year with tourism representing only 4 percent of the territory GDP.

“Efforts from New Caledonia territorial government to develop tourism started approximately two years ago, following a 2004 development master plan. It translated so far into the identification of tourism development zones as well as a boost in our promotion and communication budget,” added Mrs. Majorel.

New Caledonia’s tourism strategy is doubled: firstly, it wants to create more awareness for the destination around the world. “Our main assets are our authenticity, our bio-diversity as well as spectacular landscapes. We have one of the lowest densities on earth with only 12 inhabitants on average per km2. We also have the world’s largest lagoon with two third of its surface listed since July 2008 on the UNESCO world heritage list. We perfectly match travellers’ demand for an environment-friendly destination,” said Majorel.

The second task is the necessity to create at home a world-class product able to match expectations from an international clientele. “We still lack for example sufficient capacity on the island, especially in the segment of luxury resorts,” added Mrs. Majorel.

Reinforcing the training of staff is another priority to be sure that local residents can provide an adequate level of services. “Locals are welcoming by nature but they need to understand more the requirement of international travelers,” Mrs. Majorel said.

New Caledonia tourism development plan foresees new tourism infrastructures on the West Coast with the site of Gouaro-Deva being identified as the perfect location for a nature-oriented tourism sanctuary. Located 180 km away from Noumea, it will see develop over the next five years three to five-star hotels as well as an 18-hole golf course. Construction started on the four-star resort and the golf course with the opening planned in 2011. New trekking circuits are also developed between the Southern and Central part of New-Caledonia main island, “Grande Terre.”

In 2008, New Caledonia managed to grow slightly total tourist arrivals to 105,060, up by 2.3 percent over 2007. Although Europe was up by 10.3 percent at 35,636 arrivals last year, the result was influenced by a sharp decrease in Japanese visitors (-24 percent), New Caledonia second largest incoming market after France.

“Ideally, our objective would be to welcome annually some 200,000 international travelers, a result that we could reach over the next decade,” added Jahida Majorel.

Territory’s tourism authorities are extremely confident as explained by the director for Europe: “For many decades, we have been lacking the degree of international awareness of other Pacific islands such as Fiji or French Polynesia. Today, it is turning into an asset as we are now perceived as the Pacific’s last frontier.”

http://southpacific.org/blog/ shares information collected by David Stanley, author of Moon Handbooks South Pacific. It covers everything from Easter Island to the Solomons, the same areas included in Stanley’s guides.

Moon Handbooks South Pacific was the original travel guide to Oceania, now in its 8th edition. It takes years to compile a new edition, and even as one is being printed, the next is underway. In the interim, this blog keeps readers up to date.

Aside from providing new facts, the South Pacific Travel blog discusses issues of interest to visitors. Subjects often avoided in mainstream guidebooks can be touched on here, as they are in Moon Handbooks South Pacific.

Says Stanley, “I consider this blog an extension of my existing websites, and a means of staying in touch with my diverse readership. Viewers can contact me through the blog, and if I think their questions are of general interest, I’ll address them in the next day’s posts.”

http://southpacific.org/blog/ offers island travelers yet another tool for planning their South Pacific vacations and adventure travels. A virtual island tour has begun.

About the Blogger
David Stanley is the author of travel guidebooks to Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga-Samoa, and the South Pacific. At 1,091 pages, the 8th edition of Moon Handbooks South Pacific is the most comprehensive guide to Oceania ever published.

Aside from his blog, Stanley’s Pacific travel photos are on http://www.pacific-pictures.com while excerpts from his four guidebooks are at http://www.southpacific.org

Some whalewatching operators in the Kingdom of Tonga, South Pacific
islands, advertise the possibility of swimming and snorkeling with
humpback whales during the cetacean’s annual migration from July to
October. This activity sounds appealing, yet there are a number of things
to consider.

To drop clients off within snorkeling distance of a whale, the swim boats
must come closer than the 30 meters laid down in Tongan government
guidelines in 1997. Engine noise from a maneuvering boat can startle a
whale, and repeated disturbances can lead to the animals changing their
behaviour and even abandoning their traditional habitat. The nursing and
resting routines of the pods can be disrupted, potentially threatening the
health of the whales.

This high-risk activity is not covered by most travel insurance policies.
The humpback whales of Tonga are wild animals with powerful fins, and
swimming near one always involves some risk. The movements of these huge
creatures can be fatal to a human swimmer, either accidentally or if the
beast feels threatened, and a nursing mother with calf can be especially
unpredictable. Swimming into the path of a whale greatly increases the
danger.

In Tonga, sharks are known to frequent areas where there are whales,
especially calves, and at least one shark attack on a Tongan guide
swimming with whales has been recorded. A tragic accident involving
tourists seems to be only a matter of time.

Most whale encounters occur in deep waters where unperceived currents and
wave action can soon tire a snorkeler and possibly lead to panic. For
these reasons, responsible whalewatching companies like
http://www.whalediscoveries.com do not offer snorkeling with whales.

Of course, the demand is there, and pressure has come to bear on the
Tongan Government to revise its guidelines to allow boats to come within
10 meters of a whale. Several new whalewatching licenses have been issued
recently, raising the number of commercial operators in this small area to
about a dozen, and vessels often have to queue to drop off swimmers. Cases
have been observed of boats approaching to within five meters of whale
pods, and of mother humpbacks and calves being pursued out to sea.

Visitors should be aware that by purchasing such an excursion, they could
be adversely affecting the noble creatures they came to see. It’s a good
idea to discuss these matters with the operator before booking your trip,
and to avoid those who seem most interested in maximizing their own
profits at the expense of the whales.

Even if you decide to book such a tour, be aware that only 10 percent of
swim-with attempts are successful and there are no refunds. These concerns
only apply to attempts to actually swim with whales, and whalewatching
from a boat at a safe distance is no problem.

David Stanley is the author of Moon Handbooks South Pacific
http://www.southpacific.org/pacific.html which has a chapter on Tonga.
Stanley’s online Tonga Travel Guide is at
http://www.southpacific.org/text/finding_tonga.html while his Tonga travel
photos are on http://www.pacific-pictures.com/tonga/

Moon Handbooks South Pacific (ISBN 1566914116) is the original travel
guide to the Pacific islands. The 1st edition appeared in 1979, and in
November 2004 the 8th edition was published. Moon Handbooks South Pacific
is far more than just a guidebook – it’s a comprehensive reference work
with 1,091 fully indexed pages and 119 maps.

Moon Handbooks Fiji (ISBN 1566914973) describes and maps everyone’s
favorite South Pacific country. The current 7th edition covers more
islands and reviews more places to stay and eat than any other travel
guide to Fiji. Scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, hiking,
beaches – it’s all there.

Moon Handbooks Tahiti (ISBN 1566914124) is the premier travel guide to
French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Easter Island. From the rugged
shores of the Marquesas to mysterious Easter Island, Moon Handbooks
Tahiti’s 431 pages and 56 maps provide Pacific travelers with far more
candid advice than competing single country guides.

Right from the start, all three handbooks have been researched by Canadian
author David Stanley. In 1979 Stanley began his travel writing career with
Moon Handbooks South Pacific, and since then he has written guides to
Micronesia, Alaska, Yukon, Canada’s Maritime Provinces, Eastern Europe,
and Cuba. Excerpts and photos from his South Pacific guides are posted on
http://www.southpacific.org and http://www.pacific-pictures.com while his
Cuba travel photos appear on http://www.cuba-pictures.com

A generation of independent travelers have followed Moon Handbooks through
the Pacific islands, and the Moon guides continue to repay their purchase
price many times over.

About Moon Handbooks
Moon Handbooks http://www.moon.com is a series of Avalon Travel
Publishing, based in Emeryville, California. Moon Publications was created
in 1973, when Bill Dalton produced the first Indonesia Handbook. David
Stanley’s South Pacific Handbook (now called Moon Handbooks South Pacific)
was the second in a series which now numbers over 100 titles. The Moon
Handbooks to the South Pacific, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga-Samoa, and Micronesia
are featured on http://www.southpacific.org