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Rock Islands

Coordinates: 7°14′N 134°18′E / 7.233°N 134.300°E / 7.233; 134.300
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the islands of Palau. For other uses, see Rock Island (disambiguation).
Rock Islands
Nickname: Chelbacheb
Aerial view of Ngerukewid
Map of the Rock Islands
Rock Islands is located in Palau
Rock Islands
Rock Islands
Geography
Coordinates7°14′N 134°18′E / 7.233°N 134.300°E / 7.233; 134.300
Total islands250–300
Area41.12 km2 (15.88 sq mi)
Highest elevation207 m (679 ft)
Administration
StateKoror
Demographics
Population6 (2014)
Official nameRock Islands Southern Lagoon
CriteriaCultural: iii, v; Natural: vii, ix, x
Reference1386
Inscription2012 (36th Session)
Area100,200 ha
Buffer zone164,000 ha

The Rock Islands of Palau, also called Chelbacheb, are a collection of several hundred small limestone or coral uprises in the Southern Lagoon of Palau between Koror and Peleliu, now an incorporated part of Koror State. There are between 250 and 300 islands in the group according to different sources, with an aggregate area of 42 square kilometers (16 sq mi) and a maximum height of 207 meters (679 ft).[1] The islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

History

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The Rock Islands were formed during the late Eocene, around 40 million years ago as limestone was formed from the remains of coral reefs that grew in ancient seas. Over time, volcanic activity and rising sea levels shaped the islands' distinctive mushroom-like formations.

The earliest known settlers to the Rock Islands were believed to have arrived around 1000 BCE, likely from Southeast Asia or the Philippines, navigating the Pacific Ocean using traditional outrigger canoes. Indigenous Palauans have long revered the Rock Islands, not only with natural resources, but also deeply embedded cultural traditions, stories and beliefs. Many of the islands have symbolic or spiritual significance, with contagious oral traditions.

The first known European explorers to reach Palau were the Spanish in the 16th century. In 1522, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sighted the islands whilst sailing through the region, though he didn't make direct contact with the islands.

During World War II, the Rock Islands and became strategic locations for both the Imperial Japanese Army and the U.S. Marines. Japanese troops fortified the limestone islands, turning them into a defensive fortress, which led to a fierce and costly battle with American forces at Peleliu in 1944. In the post-war period, the Rock Islands and other natural sites were preserved under the U.S. administration.

The Rock Islands were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, in recognition of their ecological and cultural significance. The islands are renowned for its pristine marine biodiversity, including the famous Southern Lagoon, Jellyfish Lake and vibrant marine life.

Geography

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The Rock Islands are sparsely populated and famous for their beaches, blue lagoons, and the peculiar umbrella-like shapes of many of the islands themselves. Many of the islands display a mushroom-like shape with a narrower base at the intertidal notch. The indentation comes from erosion and from the dense community of sponges, bivalves, chitons, snails, urchins, and others that graze mostly on algae.[2] Also, the islands have been shaped over time by weather wind and vegetation.[1] Notable islands in the group are:

Environment

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Important Bird Area

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A 4,912 ha site encompassing the Rock Islands has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of most of Palau’s endemic birds, including Micronesian megapodes, Palau ground doves, Micronesian imperial pigeons, Palau fruit doves, swiftlets and kingfishers, Micronesian myzomelas, morningbirds, Palau fantails, flycatchers and bush warblers, giant, dusky and citrine white-eyes, and Micronesian starlings.[3]

Tourism

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The islands and surrounding reefs include Palau's most popular tourist sites, such as the Blue Corner, Blue Holes, German Channel, Ngermeaus Island, and the famed Jellyfish Lake, one of many marine lakes in the Rock Islands that provides home and safety for several kinds of stingless jellyfish found only in Palau. It is the most popular diving destination in Palau, offering some of the most diverse dive sites on the planet, from wall diving and high current drift dives, to manta rays and sharkfeeds, to shallow lagoons, decorated caves, and overhangs. Tourist attractions also include Dolphin Bay, where a staff of veterinarians and trainers educate guests about dolphins.

Demographics

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The only inhabited place on the islands is called Dolphin Bay (on Ngeruktabel, 5 km from Koror). It is the location of Palau's national aquatics park, and hosts headquarters of Palau's Park rangers.

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  • Aerial view of Rock Islands.
    Aerial view of Rock Islands.
  • View of Rock Islands from the lagoon.
    View of Rock Islands from the lagoon.
  • Divers descending next to the mast of the Japanese tanker Iro.
    Divers descending next to the mast of the Japanese tanker Iro.
  • An Anemonefish on the wreck of the Japanese tanker Iro.
    An Anemonefish on the wreck of the Japanese tanker Iro.
  • One of the many Rock Islands.
    One of the many Rock Islands.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Rock Islands Southern Lagoon". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  2. ^ Murphy, Richard C. (2002). Coral Reefs: Cities Under The Seas. The Darwin Press, Inc. pp. 60–61. ISBN 0-87850-138-X.
  3. ^ "Rock Islands". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
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