Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim Praises President Whipps' Professional Guiding, Invites Public to Experience Palau's Ocean Beauty

(Central News Agency, Koror, Palau, June 7) Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim today, accompanied by Palau's President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., visited the Rock Islands lagoon, known as "God's aquarium," for kayaking and snorkeling. She praised President Whipps as a professional marine guide, described the colorful underwater scenery as stunning, and expressed hope that more Taiwanese tourists would take direct flights to experience Palau's rich tropical marine ecosystem.

Vice President Hsiao arrived in Palau yesterday leading a delegation. Early this morning, under the personal planning and navigation of President Whipps, they jointly piloted a boat to the famous snorkeling spot "Big Drop Off" in the southern lagoon of the Rock Islands to experience the beautiful tropical marine ecology.

Regarding this marine ecology arrangement, President Whipps noted that Vice President Hsiao had visited Palau 18 years ago, so this trip was specially planned to include places she had not visited before, including the world-renowned diving spot "Big Drop Off." Located off Ngemelis Island at the southern tip of the Rock Islands, the seabed topography drops vertically from a shallow reef of about 3 meters to a deep sea of approximately 600 meters. It is hailed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Underwater World, nurturing over 1,500 species of tropical fish and large marine creatures such as sea turtles, Napoleon wrasse, and sharks.

President Whipps expressed a warm welcome to Vice President Hsiao and her delegation. He mentioned that Palau had experienced several days of storms, but Vice President Hsiao's visit brought good weather, bringing "calm, smooth, and beautiful weather." He also called on the people of Taiwan to take direct flights to experience the beauty of Palau.

Regarding the beautiful marine scenery of Palau, Vice President Hsiao said that upon diving for snorkeling, she immediately saw marine life such as sea turtles, leopard sharks, and blacktip sharks. The corals on the seabed were colorful, including bright blue, purple, yellow, and orange, which was very impressive.

The Vice President particularly praised President Whipps as a professional marine guide, capable of accurately spotting sea turtles hiding among rocks or sharks resting on the seabed, allowing the delegation to enjoy spectacular underwater views.

Vice President Hsiao said they were very lucky to have perfect weather today, with a calm sea surface and fish seemingly vying to show off their beauty. This helped her understand why President Whipps encourages tourists to stay longer to fully appreciate Palau's natural marine charm.

When the yacht carrying Vice President Hsiao and President Whipps passed the famous German Channel, it suddenly accelerated, prompting media on another yacht to shout "Speedy Mei-chin" (a play on her name). The Vice President clarified loudly that she was only holding the steering wheel and did not accelerate; she was just professionally helping to refuel.

Regarding her first experience steering a boat, Vice President Hsiao said the waterway had no traffic lights, giving a feeling of openness, which embodies the spirit of "sharing the same boat" between Taiwan and Palau. She also revealed that she had brought a straw hat from Taiwan, but President Whipps specially gave her a white baseball cap with the word "Palau" on it, so she decided to follow the host's lead and wear the Palau cap to promote Palau tourism.

Vice President Hsiao stated that both Palau and Taiwan are island nations with warm and friendly people. Visiting Palau makes one feel particularly relaxed. She suggested that Taiwanese people, after working hard, deserve to plan a relaxing island trip for themselves. Palau is close to Taiwan with direct flights, making it a very convenient choice.

The Vice President also revealed that she had visited Palau with her family 18 years ago. This revisit gave her a stronger sense of Palau's efforts to balance tourism development and marine conservation, hoping to allow tourists to appreciate the natural beauty of the ocean while protecting precious ecological resources. She said that snorkeling with President Whipps this time was a rare and valuable experience. (Edited by Lin Ke-lun, Yang Lan-xuan) 1150607