Guam's preserves

Tim Rock · Issue 100, Jan/Feb 2018 · pp. 82–86

Surrounded by an azure sea, the island of Guam in Western Micronesia is blessed with one of the world’s richest coral reef marine environments. It thrives with more than 700 fish species and nearly 400 kinds of corals. This great natural biodiversity attracts divers from all over Asia and other parts of the world. Combined with its historic past that includes shipwrecks and remnants from WWII, WWI and even the gold bearing Manila Galleon trading days and Guam is a real treasure chest for undersea explorers. For people living on Guam, this bonanza has made divers of many. It is Micronesia’s most developed and populated island with 150,000 people and a million Japanese and Asian tourists annually. Not surprisingly, locals and tourists head to the 236 square miles of reefs found surrounding Guam. Add to this the fact that consistently warm and clear water make year ‘round diving possible. D…