Sleeping Lady Divers is named after the mountain profile of the island, which looks like a sleeping lady on her back,” says Katrina Adams. The sleeping lady, a goddess, created the island when she reposed in sorrow after finding her child, a whale, slain by the human residents. The whale body became the small island of Lelu."
It is a fitting myth about how the islands were formed. One imagines tiny Lelu nestling in the bosom of the Sleeping Lady, whose skyline graces the island of Kosrae, a 42 square-mile island state of the Federated States of Micronesia, a country that is comprised of about 270 square miles of land scattered over a million square miles of the equatorial Pacific, south west of Hawaii.
This article is concerned with an overview of the four federated states: Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap plus the independent island of Palau.
Katrina, along with Bruce Brandt and Madison Nena, manages Kosrae Village Ecolodge and Sleeping Lady Divers. Katrina welcomes experienced divers who have an appreciation of and a respect for the ocean and the life that it supports. Kosrae is surrounded by healthy and diversified fringing reefs, home to 170 species of stony coral and 10 species of soft coral. Katrina's underwater photography is amazing. My favourite is her Scribbled File Fish. Her close-ups of tropical flowers are scintillating: from flawless sun-seeking heliotropes to white ginger blossoms - a study in the effects of light. In another vein, her blue tail skink embodies casual readiness.
Kosrae
Although Kosrae Village Ecolodge caters to divers, there are other activities. The resort is not just for sunbathing, dining and diving. The island of Kosrae abounds with natural beauty and treasures that you'll want to explore. Hike through the dense rainforests that cover the slopes of Kosrae's mountains, explore the sea coast and mangrove swamps by kayak, visit ancient Micronesian or World War II ruins, take your binoculars and go bird watching, snorkel or surf.
"Most of our guests are from the US,” Katrina says. “Some are experienced divers and some are not, but the ones that we like best pay attention to their buoyancy and their fins." She addresses the fragility of the coral and a need for professionalism lest you inadvertently damage a unique pristine environment.
Sleeping Lady
Pohnpei, the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, has tropical jungles; mist covered mountains, mangrove swamps and exotic flora made possible by measurable rainfall 300 days a year responsible for rushing rivers, roaring waterfalls and tranquil fresh water pools.
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