Palau’s diverse Helen Reef and the rangers saving its sea life from poachers
Helen Reef, in Palau, has its own dedicated guard force, deterring poachers and protecting its incredible variety of life
The handful of rangers who protect one of Earth’s most remote and biologically diverse reefs have only each other for company for months at a time.
They worry about running out of fuel for boat patrols, their drinking water can get dangerously low and rising seas are nipping away at the tiny island that hosts their station.
On the plus side, the fishing is amazing – and they are the only people allowed to do it.
Helen Reef, a 104 sq km (40 square mile) atoll at the southern limit of Palau, a country in Oceania, is home to plants and animals that include the Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, hawksbill sea turtles and sea cucumbers.
More than 500 other fish species – including sharks and manta rays – giant clams, and hundreds of hard and soft coral species thrive in its protected waters.
On Helen Island, most of which lies barely a metre above sea level, the sky fills with thousands of birds including boobies, frigate birds and terns, and green sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach during nesting season in July.
