JA6UBY will be active as T88RR from Koror Island, IOTA OC - 009, Palau, 10 - 18 June 2026.
Previous activities:
T88FM and T88MK will be active from Koror Island, IOTA OC - 009, Palau, 12 - 19 September 2024.
JA6UBY will be active as T88RR from Koror Island, Palau, 30 August - 5 September 2023.
JM1LIG and JO3LVG will be active as T88FM and T88MK from Koror Island, IOTA OC - 009, Palau, 12 - 18 September 2023.
T88FM, T88RR, T88MK will be active again from Koror Island, IOTA OC - 009, 17 - 26 September 2020.
Previous activity:
JA6UBY, JO3LVG, JH6DUL, JL1HYH, JM1LIG, JI6NCY will be active from Koror Island, IOTA OC - 009, 16 - 23 June 2017 as T88RR, T88MK, T88VV, T88HY, T88FM, T88NC.
They will operate on 160 - 6m CW, SSB, RTTY.
QSL info:
T88RR via JA6UBY.
T88MK via JO3LVG.
T88VV via JH6DUL.
T88HY via JL1HYH.
T88FM via JM1LIG.
T88NC via JI6NCY.
Eight square kilometers: Koror Island
It's amazing how many places there are on our planet that we know almost nothing about. One of them is Koror, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean whose beauty and uniqueness deserve a separate article. Koror is part of Palau, an island nation in Micronesia.
Incidentally, it is home to the city of the same name, which was the capital of Palau until 2006, when it was transferred to the city of Ngörulmud due to Koror's remoteness from the rest of the country's islands and the lack of convenient transport infrastructure. However, this did not prevent Koror from becoming a recognized diving center, which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.
It is noteworthy that the economy of this tiny island is still based on agriculture and fishing. Of course, tourism is gradually gaining momentum, but the indigenous people do not want to abandon what their ancestors have been doing for centuries. This quality is also reflected in Koror's culture: here you can find historical and architectural monuments that are several thousand years old.
A bit of history: cultural heritage
Palau is a unique country, whose territory consists of several hundred islands scattered throughout Micronesia. Koror can undoubtedly be called the strangest island of all. It is located at an equal distance from Eurasia and Australia (2,500 kilometers), has an area of only 8 square kilometers, and boasts an unusually rich culture.
The exact date of Koror's discovery is unknown: regular visits to the island began in the mid-19th century. It was particularly popular with European traders and travelers, who stopped here to rest and replenish their supplies. It was then that Koror gained a reputation as a paradise: a quiet island, remote from the rest of the world, completely covered with vegetation, with an ideal climate and crystal clear water.
The first settlers appeared on Koror several thousand years ago. Their descendants still live on this island, carefully observing traditions and customs. Thanks to them, we can immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the past: the island has a National Museum, which houses a collection of truly unusual artifacts.
In addition, Koror also has modern cultural centers. The Coral Reef Research Center, which monitors water quality and maps corals, deserves special attention. It is an open water area where some of the rarest marine life lives and breeds: nautiluses, giant tridacna clams, and golden jellyfish.
Unearthly landscapes: geography and climate
Koror Island is of volcanic origin: the remains of ancient volcanoes are covered with coral deposits. With a surface area of 8 km², the entire territory (including small atolls) covers just over 9 km², on which almost 13,000 people manage to live.
The climate is tropical, with the rainy season lasting from May to November. It is worth noting that the rains here are periodic. The main danger is strong gusts of wind, which sometimes tear roofs off houses — for this reason, the island is unofficially closed to visitors outside the dry season.
The island is completely covered with dense tropical forests, but the flora and fauna are rather sparse: there are only a few species of plants, birds, and small mammals. Koror's real treasure is its underwater world.
This amazing world: the underwater kingdom
Modern Koror can claim the title of an international diving center. And there is every reason for this: always calm and clear ocean water, an untouched underwater world, hundreds of species of exotic marine animals. And, of course, the amazing Koror reefs — a true relic that has survived to this day. They were formed over many thousands of years, eventually forming several deep underwater ensembles.
The most famous of these are the Chandelier Caves, which stretch for several dozen kilometers. They are inhabited by bizarre parrotfish that are completely unafraid of humans. In addition, majestic sea turtles and schools of jellyfish can often be found nearby. It should be noted that these caves are considered a protected area — to get there, you will have to take a special training course and then obtain a diving permit.
There is only one hotel on Koror, located right on the ocean shore, as well as a professional diving school where you can rent the necessary equipment, get advice, or hire a guide. In addition, Koror has a beautiful beach that is almost always empty — the vast majority of tourists come here to see the amazing underwater world of Koror with their own eyes.
In short, it is an amazing place, whose only drawback is its considerable remoteness from civilization. Getting to Koror can take several hours of tiring flights and ferry crossings. But the effort will be well worth it, because Koror is a magical island unlike any other.