McGrath Images - Locations

Pohnpei is the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia and is located in the Eastern Caroline Islands, about 6 degrees north of the equator (view nifty map). The island measures roughly 12 miles by 14 miles with a rugged tropical rainforest interior. Its terrain is mountainous with Nahnalaud Peak being the highest point at 2,540 feet. The peak aids in generating abundant rainfall with an annual average of 16 feet falling in Kolonia. This no doubt helps to feed the 42 streams and rivers and many stunning waterfalls. Thankfully, most of the rain falls at night. The island is surrounded by a vast lagoon that sports many excellent SCUBA diving opportunities. Historians will find the ancient ruins of Nan Madol fascinating and marvel at the 25-foot high walls made out of basalt between the 7th and 16th centuries. Additional information on Pohnpei can be found at http://www.visit-pohnpei.fm.

The lagoon at low tide

Travelers disembark the plane with Sokeh's Rock in the background

Arriving at the airport

Pohnlehr Peak (668 feet)

Ace Commercial Center

Pohnpei Center Cinemas

Mwand Island

Sokeh's Rock at sunset

Fisherman's canoe

Shoot me an email if you know what kind of flower this is (kevin@mcgrathimages.com).

Tropical flower

Kepirohi Waterfall

Pohnpeian Man

The cool water provided relief from the hot and humid afternoon. I’m glad I kept my swim suit on - the fish were a little too friendly!

Taking a dip

Our guide impressed us with his climbing skills

The celebrated ruins of Nan Madol are an engineering feat. Evidence suggests that construction began in the 7th century and continued until the 16th century. Natives used bamboo and mangrove rafts to transport large basalt logs to the site. These logs were arranged to form walls that are as high at 25 feet!

The ruins of Nan Madol

Meditation chamber

The Tattooed Irishman Restaurant at The Village Hotel is a perfect spot to relax with a cold drink and watch the sunset.

The sun sets over the Pohnpei lagoon

Most of the dwellings on Pohnpei are similar to this one. I can only imagine what sort of destruction a strong typhoon would inflict upon the land.

A typical Pohnpeian dwelling

There's only one road that goes around the island. Although most of it is paved, the southern portion is still gravel. Construction began by the Spaniards in the 1890s, continued by the Japanese in the 1930s, and was finally completed in 1985.

The jungle stretches right up to the around-the-island road

Madolenihmw Harbor

This volcanic plug is known as Pwisehn Malek, which directly translates to “Chickensh*t Mountain”. Legend has it that a rooster relieved himself here (creating the feature - it's not really a mountain) while racing around the island on an errand of the gods. Must have been one hell of a dump!

Note: For you purists out there, I replaced the background with a more interesting skyline.

Pwisehn Malek (Chichensh*t Mountain)

Feral dog

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of four loved ones who lost their lives at Liduhduhniap Falls.

The Liduhduhniap Falls memorial

The trail to the falls leads down canyon walls and is covered with moss and is very slippery.

The Liduhduhniap Falls trail

We pause for a portrait and to appreciate the beautiful scenery

Portrait perfect

The Kahmar River

Liduhduhniap Falls

Wild Hibiscus

Our rental car

Top

Unfortunately, we both came down with head colds a few days before arriving and were only able to get two dives in. Regardless, we were amazed with what we saw in just those dives: many colorful nudibranchs, two large manta rays, an octopus, eels, feather stars, clams, and christmas tree worms. A current runs at most of Pohnpei's dive spots, thus drift diving is popular. We had never done a drift dive before and found the lack of required physical activity to be quite refreshing. Our first dive was at Manta Road (northeast corner of the lagoon), aptly named for the mantas that hang out there. The second dive was at the Palikir Pass wall (northwest corner of the lagoon).

The beautiful waters of the Pohnpei Lagoon

Beautiful lagoon waters

Valerie

Looking for a good dive spot

Manta ray

Soft coral

The classification of this nudibranch is formally known as Nembrotha kubaryana. These stunning creatures and their snail-related cousins form one of the main divisions within the Mollusca. Most are characterized by the combination of a pair of tentacles on top of the head and a tuft of feathery gills on the rear part of the back.

One would think that these soft-skined, unprotected creatures would have difficulty fending off predators. As usual, nature invented a solution. The flesh of nudibranchs is often toxic or distasteful and the bright colors seem to serve as a warning sign. Some forms of nudibranchs feed on various hydroids and other cnidarians. They're able to digest the stinging cells (nematocysts) of their prey without firing them and incorporate the cells into their own tissue. Thus, the feathery protrusions covering their back are armed with stolen weapons.

Source: Allen, Dr. Gerald R., and Roger Steene. Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide. Singapore: Tropical Reef Research, 2002.

A very colorful nudibranch

Nudibranch

Feather star

Filled to the brim

Octopus

Two remoras (back-right end) were hitching a ride on this manta ray.

Manta ray with attached remoras

Spotted garden eels

Gold-banded fusiliers

Top

The Village Resort Hotel is hands down the most beautiful, romantic, and enchanting hotel we've ever stayed at! It was built by an American couple in the late 70's (you would never know it's that old) who subsequently earned an ecotourism award for their hard work. Its 20 open-air bungalows hang off the sides of a mountain overlooking the lagoon and have no air conditioning. But that's ok! Each have a high-speed ceiling fan to keep you cool and the screens allow you to become fully engulfed in the sounds of the tropical rainforest. Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention the water beds. The Tattooed Irishman at The Village is considered to be one of the best restuarants on the island and you won't hear any objections from us. We highly recommend the crispy plum chicken (almost worth the trip itself) and firey Bananas Foster.