Ulong is a major island and channel of western

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...

. It is sometimes called Aulong and originally written Oroolong in English. Ulong is regarded by many as one of the best drift dives in the world.

Geography

Beach at Ulong Island, Palau (9757338084)

Ngerumekaol Pass (also known as Ulong Channel) partially cuts through the reef near the Island. The channel stretches about , with an average width of and leads into a coral reef lagoon. There are sharks within the currents of the channel and Ulong Corner. The channel contains giant clams and one of the largest known patches of green

lettuce coral ''Agaricia agaricites'', commonly known as lettuce coral or tan lettuce-leaf coral, is a species of colonial stony corals in the family Agariciidae. This coral is found in shallow waters in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean ...

in the world. Uruktapel is the largest island southward of

Koror Koror is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic of Palau. It consists of several islands, the most prominent being Koror Island (also ''Oreor Island''). It is Palau’s most populous state. History In the oral tradition ...

; at about off its western point is Ulong. Denges and Eil Malk Passages are passable, but navigation may be difficult in the lagoon between them and Ulong Island. From Ulong to Malakal Harbor, the lagoon is navigable.

History

Henry Wilson Henry Wilson (born Jeremiah Jones Colbath; February 16, 1812 – November 22, 1875) was an American politician who was the 18th vice president of the United States from 1873 until his death in 1875 and a senator from Massachusetts from 1855 to ...

(1740–1810), an English naval captain of the British

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

was aboard his

packet ship Packet boats were medium-sized boats designed for domestic mail, passenger, and freight transportation in European countries and in North American rivers and canals, some of them steam driven. They were used extensively during the 18th and 19th ...

''Antelope'', when it shipwrecked off Ulong Island in 1783; he returned to England with the local

Prince Lee Boo Prince Lee Boo or Lebu (1764 – 27 December 1784) was the second son of Abba Thulle (Ibedul), the ruler of Koror in the Pelew Islands, now called Palau. Prince Lee Boo was one of the first people from the Pacific Islands to visit Great Britain. W ...

. In the late 1700s, the island's inhabitants attempted to defend Ulong from attack along Ikesakes Reef but, having been defeated, were forced to leave. There are Palau Cave Paintings on the island.

References

Islands of Palau Former monarchies {{Palau-geo-stub