Korsae by Marc

Korsae, 1999
Author: Marc

Hi all.

Kosrae is an undeveloped tropical island, about 3,000 miles southwest of Hawaii. It is just north of the equator, at the fifth degree of latitude. It is a mountainous island, 70% of which is uncharted jungle. Between 7,100 and 8,000 people live there. They speak their own language, Kosraen. They are an independent nation, and a member of the Federated States of Micronesia.

I had changed planes twice in the Guam airport on my way to Palau and Truk, so I decided to take the "back way" home, on Continental's island hopper. From Truk, I flew 600 miles southeast to Kosrae, and stopped for three days. I thought I might be able to find some virgin reefs, which are getting extremely rare these days. I also thought I might find some interesting people. I was right on both counts.

They call Kosrae the Sleeping Lady island, because they say the mountain peeks look like a woman lying on her back with her breasts exposed. Frankly, I think one would have to be a pretty lovesick sailor (or the President of the US) to think of a woman's breasts when looking at those overgrown green hilltops. I prefer my women without foliage.

It was raining when I pulled my dive gear from under the ice chests at Continental's baggage claim. I cleared customs, which consisted of smiling at the Kosraen officer, and immediately met the representative of the Nautilus resort. He told me I should rent a car, so I quickly was handed the keys to a Mazda 323 by a young man with no booth and no charge slips. He did not ask for my driver's license. There is not much paperwork on Kosrae, and no extra insurance. Of course, there is no way to steal the car, since there's nowhere to take it. And you can't get off the island without paying, because the rental guy is at the airport before every flight.

The flights only go through Kosrae twice a week, in the direction of Honolulu. So, when I got off the plane on Friday, I was stuck until Monday. I decided to make the best of it, and drove into the jungle in my rented 323.

I figured there would not be many roads on Kosrae, and I was right. There is basically one road out of the airport, and it just sort of wraps around the shore of the island. So, I drove slowly, and found the Nautilus resort without any trouble. My room was spartan, ala Holiday Inn. But it was clean, decent, and comfortable. It was also air-conditioned, a definite plus near the equator, and had it's own little refrigerator full of Budweiser and soft drinks. I cracked open a Bud, and called the dive shop to be certain I had arrangements for the next day's diving.

The nautilus divemaster told me that his boat was broken, but that he would arrange the diving with his competition, the Kosrae Village Resort. He offered to meet me for a beer. Naturally, I accepted. On Friday night, there were about six people at the Nautilus poolside bar. Jeff, the divemaster and apparently the owner of the resort, was very good company. Moreover, everyone at the Nautilus was very friendly, and I was joined for dinner (and a Bud) by the legislative counsel for the State of Kosrae, a lawyer (and diver) from Encino, California. Matt told me he had seen several baby reef sharks while diving Hiroshi Point, at the southwest corner of the island.

The next morning, the van from the Kosrae Village Resort met me, and we drove to the harbor nearest Hiroshi point. My gear was loaded onto a boat that might more accurately be described as a raft, with two pontoons and a small outboard. I was accompanied by a divemaster named Bruce, another California expatriate. Bruce and his wife own the Kosrae Village Resort.

On the two dives at Hiroshi point, I did not see the baby reef sharks. However, I did get to see lush hard corals that did not have the marks of many divers' hands, and clear water, with visibility in excess of 100'. The reef started almost at the surface, and sloped gently to great depths. This allowed very relaxed, long dives, in water of 83-84 degrees.

The marine life in Kosrae was not as remarkable as in Palau, or on the Great Barrier Reef. But the diving was virgin, the visibility was better, and the gently sloping reef allowed me to have a very safe profile, slowly ascending up the reef throughout the dives. This was a pleasant change from Truk, where bottom times were severely limited by the extreme depths. In Kosrae, I could safely stay down as long as I wanted, or as long as my air would last, because the end of the dive could be spent right on the reef, in 15 or 20 feet of water.

On the first dive, I had a BT of 75 minutes. I saw countless different varieties of hard corals, mostly in pristine and untouched condition. Although I still had 750 pounds of air, I felt water logged, and ascended to the boat for turkey sandwiches, fruit juices and fudge cakes. On the second dive, I saw a ray that looked like a baby manta. (It was black on top and had horns, just like a Pacific Manta, but had only about a 3' wingspan.) Again, the reefs were virgin. I ascended after only 64 minutes, with over 1,000 pounds left, having had my fill of diving. (That was my 35th dive of the trip.) We puttered back to the harbor.

The next day was Sunday. The travel agent had told me that Kosrae closes on Sunday, but I did not believe her. I had traveled extensively, and I figured I would be able to find some lively bar or other activity. Wrong! The entire island of Kosrae was completely closed on Sunday. All of the people were in church. I drove through the rain forest, and explored the ruins and caves. When it started raining, I headed back to my quarters at the tiny Nautilus. When the squall cleared, I went out to the pool, but no one joined me. Was it peaceful or boring? I still haven't decided.

The people on Kosrae are different from any other society I've ever visited. They are deeply religious, quiet and introspective. Yet, they are friendly, engaging and always return a smile or a greeting. The island is very poor, with the populace living in small huts with corrugated metal roofs. 85% of the people do not work in the money economy, but engage in subsistence fishing and farming. Yet, there is no crime, no police and no jail. I left my car doors unlocked, as did everyone else. (Of the remaing 15%, most work for the government.)

The economy is ostensibly capitalistic, but there is no obvious means of employment, no manufacturing, no T-shirt shops, no bars. And the two restaurants and many little "stores" were hard to spot. The were just huts like the other structures, that looked like people's homes. The little stores and restaurants do not have signs, so it seemed that their owners did not understand the most rudimentary elements of advertising. Yet, the people work hard, the yards and houses are kept clean and the homes are well-tended. There is no litter.

It seemed that Kosrae was a perfect setting for a Tom Robbins novel, such as "Another Roadside Attraction." There were many things about it that were quirky, charming, and just didn't make sense. Kosrae had an airport, and anyone could fly there easily. Yet, almost no one visited. Jeff, the owner of the Nautilus, told me that if there are ten tourists (total) on the island at any one time, it is busy. Thus, Kosrae is an outpost of contrasts, a complicated jewel of an island that I do not expect to remain untouched much longer.

My final words: Diving - visibility: 110'. Temperature: 83-84. Reefs: virgin, but not the plentiful sharks of Palau or wrecks of Truk. People: Friendly, crime-free and helpful. Nautilus resort: great, friendly, clean and highly recommended. The nicest place on the island, by far, and extremely well-run. I would stay there again. Kosrae Village resort: just as friendly, very pretty, but much more primitive. (I was glad I stayed at the Nautilus, but you'd like the Village if you like thatched huts.)

Marc