Located in the Caroline Islands, Yap is the westernmost of the four Federated States of Micronesia and is comprised of 134 islands, of which only 22 are inhabited. Yap is the most traditional of the Micronesian islands — it still preserves the quaint custom of using large carved stone discs as currency!

Celebrated as the manta ray capital of the world, Yap hosts enormous numbers of these gentle giants, so encounters are almost guaranteed any time of the year. The occupants at a matrix of cleaning stations in the area tend to welcome these visitors, but the two best locations for spotting mantas are at the Miil and Gufnew channels, where the mantas come in to feed during outgoing tides.

Mantas are not the only big fish attracted to the plankton-rich waters — oceanic and reef sharks, eagle and bull rays, and schools of barracudas, hammerheads, tunas, jacks and rainbow runners have all been frequently sighted. Even pilot whales are known to make a rare appearance!

But it's not all high-voltage diving at Yap. With healthy and vibrant hard and soft coral reefs fringing the islands, there's no lack of smaller reef inhabitants, providing a relaxing alternative to all the action.