News
The 2025 Yap Day Festival Another Resounding Success
The recently concluded Yap Day Festival, one of the largest and most significant cultural events in Micronesia, has been declared another resounding success. The vibrant culture and heritage of Yap were showcased during the celebrations, which took place in the villages of Rull and Weloy from February 26 to March 3, 2025.
The festivities featured interactive cultural displays, including demonstrations of traditional crafts such as weaving, as well as the Yapese traditional presentation of shell and stone money. Visitors also enjoyed several traditional Yapese dances, which symbolized the island’s rich history. Women’s groups from both the main and outer islands collaborated to host a “Taste of Yap” booth, offering culinary experiences that highlighted the island’s connection to the land and sea.
One of the standout moments of this year’s festival was the successful rebuilding and maiden sailing of a traditional Yapese canoe — the same type used in ancient journeys to transport stone money from Palau to Yap. The canoe was sailed from its home in Maap to Weloy and then to the capital, Colonia, giving visitors a chance to witness Yap’s traditional maritime practices firsthand.
The event concluded with the passing of the Yap Day torch to the Tomil Municipality, which will host the 2026 festivities. To view photos and highlights from the 2025 Yap Day activities, visit the Yap Visitors Bureau’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
About Yap
Yap is an island in the Federated States of Micronesia, in the Pacific Ocean that is ringed by spectacular coral reefs and famous for its scuba diving with giant manta rays, sharks and mandarin fish. Other key activities on the island include kayaking, hiking, deep-sea fishing and exploring the many World War II historical sites. Yap is also uniquely famous for its stone money (huge disks of stone, which are still used today in major transactions), strong traditional culture and way of life, and welcoming residents. Just a short flight away from Guam or Palau, this Pacific gem is one of the tourism industry’s best kept secrets. For more information on visiting Yap go to www.visityap.com.
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We’re thrilled to announce the final addition to our new Scubaverse Underwater Photography Team: multi-award-winning underwater filmmaker and photographer Jacob Guy.
Like Shannon Moran, who we announced as one of our new underwater photography team members yesterday, Jacob represents the next generation of underwater image-makers, bringing fresh energy and a seriously impressive set of credentials to the team. A Fourth Element ambassador, teacher at The Underwater Club, and co-founder of 71%, Jacob is passionate about conservation and natural history storytelling, using his lens to inspire a deeper connection to the ocean.
Jacob has filmed and self-produced award-winning documentaries and worked as a photo and video pro in Lembeh and on liveaboards throughout Indonesia. Most recently, he was named Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, further cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting emerging talents in underwater media today.
You may already be familiar with his compelling work across social media, where he shares his ocean adventures via @JacobGuy.media.
“I’m really excited to be joining the team at Scubaverse,” said Jacob.
“And I couldn’t be happier to have him onboard,” said Scubaverse founder, Dave Alexander. “Jacob is part of a bold new wave of underwater storytellers—and I’m delighted that Scubaverse can be part of his journey as he continues to make waves in the world of diving and underwater photography.”
We can’t wait to share with you what our new underwater photography team cook up—there’s a lot of exciting stuff on the horizon, so stay tuned!
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