A 3-Year Typhoon 

I would be lying if I were to say to you that it’s been an easy three years.  I feel like the captain of a ship that has transited a typhoon for 3 years, but I am safely in port now.  I can’t properly express my feelings for how good it is to finally have guests back in the resort, guests on dive boats, and most importantly staff back at work.  The island of Yap and consequently the Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers has been completely closed since March of 2020.  Yapese needing medical attention abroad were unable to return and thus stranded.  A number have had to take jobs off island in order to live and subsequently may not return to the island anytime soon.  This saddens my family and me as some of our co-workers fall into this category.  Heck, Patricia and I fall into it as well.  We left Yap in October of 2021, had a bit of a miracle in the Philippines with her kidney issues, and have been unable to return until now.  We are booked for the flight from Guam on Valentine’s Day, how ironic.

Reopening Excitement!

Patricia and I are very excited about the reopening of the island and the resort and we both look forward to getting back to what we do best.  Her to the spa and kayak tours and me to the dive boats and the Stammtisch on Munw where I can entertain guests on a regular basis over a cold mug of one of the Stone Money Brewery’s award-winning beers.  We are also excited with the work our “new” staff has put into place in order to ensure that we are a better resort now than we were when this all began.  Our daughter Jessica “Numie” Acker who has worked at the resort since she was 12 years old is the new General Manager.  Darlene Giley who has been our Reservations Manager and my personal assistant for years has now moved into Numie’s old job and is our Hotel Manager.  Michael Ranganbay who has been a Dive Master for us for years has been promoted to Food & Beverage Manager.  Sadly, Detelf has retired but is family and will be around the resort regularly.  The managers are pulling our staff back to work and as I said before – “We’re Baaaaak!”

The BOOT Show in Düsseldorf, Germany 

Patricia and I were at the BOOT Show in Düsseldorf, Germany the past two weeks.  This is the largest dive show in the world and boy was it great to be back in business.  Meeting all the wonderful people from Mares and SSI where our booth was located, having friends and guests stop by to visit, and talking diving and Yap with potential new customers was a real shot in the arm.  We feel so reinvigorated and ready to get to Yap and get back to welcoming old and new friends to our island and our dedicated dive resort. 

Patricia wants to share the following and alert you that she will have much more detail in the February newsletter which is forthcoming this month:

“Going to the BOOT Show with Bill this year was really good. In fact, I think it was awesome. I had been to the BOOT Show a couple of times before the pandemic, but it seemed different this time around after being closed for three years.

I want to thank all the friends who made sacrifices in order to help us at the BOOT Show and those who made it possible for us to be at the BOOT Show. We are very grateful and thankful for you all.”

BOOT Show 2023: Bill Acker, Patricia Acker, Monika Gsell, Hanspeter Gsell & Klaus Neumann

BOOT Show 2023: Bill Acker, Michael Nass (helped set-up our current F&B operations), his partner Heike and Patricia Acker

Dinner in an ancient German restaurant with MantaFest Presenter Frank Schneider, his wife Uschi and the Ackers

Grand Re-Opening Specials

We have some exciting Grand Re-opening specials which apply for bookings this year. If a dive trip to Yap might be on your wish list, I urge you to contact Darlene at welcome@mantaray.com for more information and special package pricing.  A full newsletter with much more will be forthcoming within the month so please keep following us on social media, our website, or by emailing me directly at bill@mantaray.com.  I am here to assist you in any way I can be it flights, combinations with other dive destinations in the region, or talking about my beloved Texas Longhorns’ sports programs.

We look forward to seeing you in Yap, talking about your manta dives while sipping a cold mug in the Crow’s Nest as a gentle tropical breeze rustles the palm trees.

Parting Shot:

Happy Weekend!

An elderly golfer comes in after a good round of golf at the new course and heads straight to the bar/restaurant area of the clubhouse.

As he passes through the swinging doors, he spots a sign hanging over the bar that reads:

COLD BEER: $5.00
HAMBURGER: $10.00
CHEESEBURGER: $15.50
CHICKEN SANDWICH: $18.50
HAND JOB: $250.00

Checking his wallet to be sure he has the necessary money, the old golfer walks up to the bar and beckons to the exceptionally attractive female bartender who is serving drinks to a couple of sun-wrinkled golfers.

She glides down behind the bar across from the old golfer.

“Yes?” she inquires with a wide, knowing smile. “ May I help you sir?”

The old golfer leans over the bar and whispers, “I was wondering young lady, are you the one who gives the hand-jobs around here?”

She looks into his wrinkled eyes and with a wide smile purrs, “Yes sir, I sure am.”

The old golfer leans in even closer and into her left ear and says softly, “Well then, be sure to wash your hands really, really good, because I want a cheeseburger!”