Farewell Palau

My two weeks in Palau have come to an end. Palau's hospitable people and underwater wonders have surpassed all expectations.

I end my trip with a Bolbometopon muricatum (humphead parrotfish) spawning dive with Sam's Dive shop at 6 in the morning. As the sun rose, highways of parrotfish swirled around us. Visibility was poor but that didn't hinder them from getting it on.

The green humphead parrotfish is the largest species of parrotfish, growing to lengths of 1.3 m and weighing up to 101 pounds. This species is slow-growing and long-lived (up to 40 years), with delayed reproduction and low replenishment rates. Over fishing of the humpheads in Palau led to rapid population declines decades ago and are now "vulnerable" status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Next stop: Saipan