New Luxury Dive Boat Heads the NECO fleet

Our new dive boat Tekrar (Palauan for sailfish) is set to become the NECO Marine's flagship. Not only will it be the class of our existing dive boats, but of Palau's dive boats as a whole. The 42 ft munsen jet driven boat is powered by twin Yamaha 570hp diesel engines.

The boat boasts both a very rapid topspeed of 35 knots - as fast any existing dive boat - and all the luxuries and mod-cons you'd expect from a larger boat. Tekrar's facilities include large covered areas to shelter from the weather, dry storage areas for dive gear, a dedicated camera table and of course a marine head (toilet). The boat is designed to carry 20 divers plus crew, so is ideal for larger dive groups.

Another of our dive boats (Big Blue 33) has also recently competedl a re-fit. When diving with NECO Marine you are assured of being on the best, newest, most luxurious fleet of dive boats Palau can offer.

Bent Prop 2006: The search continues for WWII US Airmen

Every year brings the Bent Prop Project to Palau. Pat Scannon and his team of volunteers come to Palau to investigate crash sites for MIA (missing in action) US airmen from WWII. Local guide and NECO Marine boat captain Joe Maldangesang accompanies the Bent Prop Project on all their expeditions with the support of NECO Marine.

Despite the fact that 60 years have past since WWII, Bent Prop along with JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command) brings information and therefore closure and relief to families across America.

This year Bent Prop have been investigating a crash site on Peleliu they have successfully indentified the wreck an american Avenger torpedo bomber. The three man aircraft is readily indentifiable despite the impact as the photo shows. More information on Bent Prop and their findings is available on their website.

Critter Corner: The Elusive Manta Ray

For such a large fish we know very little about Mantas (Manta birostris) particularly their behaviour, populations and migrations.

In Palau manta rays can be found year round, however sightings increase dramatically from December through March. There are two competing theories why this is. One theory states that manta rays have an active breeding season concentrated in this period. There are certainly numerous sightings of 'trains' of the smaller males following the larger females (who are obviously in heat). Whether the sighting of breeding aggregations is a sign of a breeding period or just a consequence of a heightened number of manta ray sightings is debatable. The second theory is based upon the season cooling of water through the winter months and the increased incidence of cold water upwellings from deep, this seems to encourage plankton growth and certainly it is at this time of year the manta rays are most often observed and more importantly most often observed feeding. The truth probably sits between the two - the plankton encourages Mantas to migrate to rich feeding zones. A consequence of the large numbers, of a generally solitary creature, in the same area represents an opportunity to mate and therefore probably results in heightened breeding activity. No one has even hazarded a guess at where the manta rays go for the rest of the year!

What we do know of Manta Rays, in general, is they are the largest ray in the world, when born they maybe as small at 3 feet / 1 meter across, but at maturity individuals have been confirmed as large as 22 feet / 7.3 meters. Manta Rays are found throughout the world in tropical and warm temperate waters. Manta Rays are filter feeders in the main and feed upon, plankton, krill and even small fish in some instances. It is likely that they are migratory as their food supply is seasonal in many places. There is evidence however that some Manta Rays at least are inshore residents (Ellis Island, Australia). Mantas mate in a similar fashion to other Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), i.e. the males chase down the female in heat, biting on her pectoral fin to grip then inserting one of his two claspers into her cloaca (or vent). After a gestation period (gestation is another mystery) the one or more usually two pups are liveborn, often in shallow inshore waters.

These gentle giants offer no threat to man, though we have hunted them comercially in the past. Currently they more in danger of being taken as by-catch. Though the adults tend to be solitary creatures manta often enjoy the company of scuba divers particularly the sensation of the air bubbles given out by the divers' regulators. This is not an invitation to harass Manta Rays: we always brief divers never to chase after a Manta as this will often encourage them to leave the area. Though it can be very tempting, touching Mantas is discouraged as well - repeated contact can lead to the loss of a protective mucus layer which in turn can lead to the Mantas being more suceptable to disease. Just watching swimming with these wonderful creatures is a experience to be treasured forever.