The mangroves of Kosrae are some of the most amazing to be found anywhere in the world. Paddle a sea kayak or a native outrigger canoe to see nature in all its peace and solitude. Ride a local boat through the jungle canopy where rivers flow below and channels rise and fall. You will discover how immense root systems and myriads of animal and plant life flourish in this complicated ecosystem.
Mangrove Forest
Bully’s Restaurant Mangrove Channels and the legend of the Mother Snake…
Mangrove trees, by holding sediment with their roots and absorbing wave energy, are among the most important coastal marine ecosystems, especially here in Kosrae where they are adjacent to coral reefs. Mangrove limits the amount of nutrients that flow over near adjoining coral reefs, which is critical because nutrients kill corals allowing algae to grow. Furthermore, in Kosrae, it houses the Mangrove Crab and numerous other creatures which began their lives within the forest.
Utwe-Walung: UNESCO Marine Biosphere. It is possible to explore this amazing ecosystem by kayak or canoe.
Snaking Through the Mangrove
Long ago the beautiful daughter of a mother-snake was swimming in Okat Harbor. Her astonishing beauty caught the attention of the king of Kosrae, who ordered his servant to take the girl to his palace in Lelu. When her daughter did not return, the agitaded mother-snake set off to find her. Frantically she slithered all around the island until, exhausted, she arrived at Lelu Harbor. The mangrove channels on Lelu are said to be carved by the frantic mother snake in search of her child…Do you want to know the rest of the story? Contact us at kosrae@micronesiagrandtour.com
Kosrae Canoe
Canoes in Kosrae are carved out of a single tree; usually the trunk of the bread fruit tree. The adze is the principal tool used in carving a canoe, or for carving anything out of wood. Some of the first Europeans to visit the island at the beginning of the 19th century gave the Kosraeans metal axes. The Kosraeans tried to carve the canoe with this new axe; however, it cut too deeply into the wood and generally could not be controlled. The Kosraeans dutifully thanked the Europeans, handed the axes to a chief as tribute, and returned to their shell adzes in completing the canoe. The adzes of today are nothing more than an adaptation and modernization of the adzes used in the past; and now metal replaces the shell or stone.
