Yap

In ancient times, Yap was only known for its stone money, carved from the rock from islands of Palau and transported over 300 miles of open ocean in sailing canoes.

Scuba diving has now taken over stone money as the island`s most popular attraction. Every day the combination of plankton, tide and current sets the stage for an undersea ballet featuring some of the ocean`s largest creatures.

Manta rays, some weighing more than a ton with wingspans of fourteen feet or more, pirouette through Yap`s clear Pacific waters.

But there is more to Yap diving than mantas. Off colorful vertical walls, tropical fish, moray eels, turtles, sharks, lionfish and more parade through ridges past numerous manta ray cleaning stations.