The kayak, which he adopted just a few years ago, gives him the perfect vehicle to explore the thousands of miles of island shorelines in this tropical paradise. Palau is an archipelago containing over 200 islands, protected by an encircling barrier reef. Most of the islands are uninhabited, many are impenetrable. Uplifted from the sea perhaps 30 million years ago, the islands are made up largely of limestone and coral. The largest island, Babeldaob, and its neighbor, Koror, are volcanic.
Countless atolls look like the ones in the castaway cartoons.
Not that old, says Ron, but he directs my attention, later, to a facade 20 feet above the water. The ancient ocher petroglyphs could just as well be along the Basswood River - at least to my untrained eye. During the remainder of the day we explore, probe, and spelunk by kayak. It is no surprise that Palau is consistently rated the top dive destination in the world. Our first exploration after the burial cave is a mysterious tidal stream and system of marine lakes.