Yap State is made up of Yap itself and several smaller islands. The famous stone money (rai) was quarried on Babeldoab Island in Palau and carried over hundreds of miles of open ocean on rafts. The largest intact piece is 13 feet across.
Stone money
Men's meeting house and dance platform
People: At the time of our visit (1989), some older women still wore only grass lavalavas. Seeing that we were obviously foreigners, this older woman addressed us politely in Japanese, which she had learned as a child during World War II! Men and boys wear loincloths. Originally the color of the cloth indicated the island of origin of the family. Yap is the most traditional corner of Micronesia. The Yapese were (and still are, in the outer islands) the greatest navigators of the Pacific
Scenery: Yap Island is three large interconnected islands composed of sedimentary rock. The coastal villages and taro patches are linked by ancient stone paths.
Underwater scenery: A barrier reef surrounds the main islands.
Orange-finned anemonefish, Amphiprion chrysopterus
Other fish: While Yap is famous for its manta rays, we did not see any.
Sabre squirrelfish, Sargocentron spiniferum
Meyer's butterflyfish, Chaetodon meyersi
Black-backed butterflyfish, Chaetodon melannotus
Moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus
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Last modified 5 November 2024