Yep, there's a two-seater war plane with bullet holes in it crashed into the lagoon that is now part of the coral landscape. This is a surface interval activity, it's not quite enough to make this one of your dives, but something that should make an appearance in your Yap vacation photo gallery. Here's the...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Business owners, professionals join campaign to restrict international trade on endangered shark and ray species RIO DE JANEIRO, February 25th - Diving industry stakeholders from around the world have joined forces to demand urgent international measures to stall the continued global decline of shark and ray populations, and released a manifesto prior...

Article By Andy Sallmon and Allison Vitsky Sallmon Spoiled for choice in the mantas' realm Exhilarated and starving, we pulled off our gear as the divemaster began the roll call. With all passengers accounted for, the boat captain started the motor and headed toward the resort, where lunch awaited our group of hungry divers. We...

We experimented today with the shark calling bottle trick and a box of tuna heads over the infinite blue depths under the reef wall at Big Bend. The rest of the dive group was hanging above us with cameras in hand. Our plan was to give it 15-20 minutes and turn the show into a...

Today, we're lagoon diving. The wind makes for a rough outer reef final dive day boat ride, on a Friday no less. We kept it inside this morning. Our group of guests from Germany received the whole dive menu during their week, from mantas and sharks to ripping blue water wall dives and, this afternoon,...

Thanks to the Manta Ray Sanctuary program, started by Bill and backed by the State govt, all big animals benefit from the habitat protection. The lagoon and mangrove areas are important for the sharks, as well as the Manta Rays. Yap is a big animal ecological reserve and the result is a healthy population of...

Manta Ray Bay Resort and the Mnuw were decked out in local attire for the New Year welcoming celebration. The entire walkway from the street was lined in organic decorations and light ropes leading to the entertainment and, of course, the bottomless buffet.   Detlef's crew worked all day preparing fresh Tuna poke, blackened Yellow-fin...

Not much has changed since I left, or since 1986, when Bill invented diving and tourism here, for that matter... this is how the guys kick the energy level up a few notches out at Vertigo. This is a Texas style shark feeding, that happens anytime anyone wants, out on the Philippine Sea reef. The way Bill...

Hello again, we're back with the Yap status reports (finally). I'm happy to be posting this after a couple of months off island... here's my update and what today looks like at Bill's op. After surviving the end of the world, a whole bunch of people showed up ready to dive and we have action...

As most of you are surely aware, living in the Tropics requires a bit of ingenuity from time to time.  Also, as most of you are aware it does rain, even in the Paradise which is Yap Island, but there is no need to worry about us as we have figured out a safe way...

Frank Schneider, Marty Snyderman, Bill Acker, Ray Bullion and Masa Michishiro,  your 2012 Manta Fest presenters and event host handed out the prizes and awards to the top photographers of this year's event. The task wasn't easy, there were a lot of outstanding photo submissions but this is how it all finally shook down. Winner,...

This was the final day of the photography and diving for this year's photo contest.The weeks of photography and fun for Manta Fest 2012 concluded with a showing of Bill's custom hospitality on the Mnuw after a perfect day on the water. After this, all that was left to do was turn in JPG's, wait...