| Alii Survivor Palau! By Louise "Wezzie" Craven, © December, 2004 The tenth Survivor series will showcase the beauty and diversity of Palau’s undersea world. Several cast members were certified in SCUBA, and during the game, two were rewarded with an excursion aboard a dive boat. The survivors may have jumped from the cliffs at Nikko Bay, snorkeled in Jellyfish Lake, searched for "The Lost Fleet of the Rock Islands", or secured with a reef-hook, a Palauan invention, watched sharks, barracuda and sea turtles glide by on the current. Survivor’s camera crew remarked that the scenery in Palau was spectacular -- the best they'd ever seen! Survivor fans will see it for themselves when the series premieres in February, 2005. Rumors of a military theme arose when photos of green, blue and brown camo-style buffs were revealed by Port Vila Presse Online and by Internet fan "palau islander." Several former military sites were chosen for the production within the Rock Islands, where more than 60 Japanese Imperial Navy warships were destroyed during US dive-bomber attacks in 1944. Tribal names are believed to be "Ulong" and "Koror." Tribal flags showed a shark on a background of blue and green and a stingray on a background of orange, brown and green. Survivor, locally known as "Clear Water, Inc." used Malakal Island
in the Koror Port district as its base of operations. Production Camp was reported to
be a huge affair on the water, gated with security. The fence surrounding the
site was blocked with tarps and closely patrolled by Palauan security guards,
but locals could see tents and cargo containers full of equipment. "Clear
Water, Inc." also rented the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center for offices. Beginning Tuesday, October 26, the following prohibitions will apply:
In October, Survivor Maps learned that the Tribal Council was on Ngeruktabel Island near Ngeremdiu, either on the beach, at the lighthouse or on the pier. Evidence supports the pier location. Prior to the start of the game, locals noticed that a fake Japanese bunker had been constructed at the on Lighthouse Channel near the pier and in December, an Internet blogger claimed that the Tribal Council resembled a Japanese bunker surrounded by war material. Made of foam and plywood, Survivor’s Tribal Council is said to have looked very aged and authentic. On the mountain near Tribal Council, stands Ngeruktabel’s lighthouse, built by the Germans around 1900. Not much is left except the rock pier, a wide road overgrown by jungle, and the remains of the lighthouse, elevation about 700'. After the Japanese purchased Palau from the Germans around 1914, they built a small compound near the light house. During WWII, the Japanese fortified the roadway with several guns, shelters or pill boxes, and caves. Survivor called the lighthouse "the Japanese lighthouse." On the other side of Ngeruktabel Island and linked to the lighthouse by a steep jungle trail down a limestone slope, are two beaches, Margie’s Beach and another beach linked to Margie's behind a limestone hill. Survivor removed several palm trees from this area and witnesses reported watching the construction of a wooden foundation with uprights and cross beams. The foundation appeared to be long and narrow, with its shortest width near the high tide line and extending back from the beach. Recent reports indicate that this was a pool used for challenges. Survivor Maps has learned that one tribe camped at Margie’s Beach and the other on Ulong Island. On both Ulong Island and Margie's Beach remains of WWII aircrafts lie buried in the sand The booted contestants are believed to have stayed at the North Beach Cottages on Babeldaob Island, a large island north of Koror. North Beach is reportedly the best and longest beach in Palau. The cottages were fully booked for the duration of the filming. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey were in Palau for the last days of filming, and stayed at the Palau Pacific Resort. Following his visit to Palau, Mark Burnett traveled to Madagascar to scout locations for Survivor 11. Other possible Survivor 11 locations include China or a return to Australia. Early on, locals expressed concern about tree cutting, especially at the German/Japanese Lighthouse, but all in all, the people of Palau were very pleased by the production and behavior of the crew. Locals reported that the CBS Survivor crew was very friendly and spent a lot of money in Palau. Survivor rented boats and vehicles and used local labor and materials, dumping close to $1M into Palau's economy. Palau Links and Information Palau Visitors Authority http://www.visit-palau.com/Fish ‘n Fins, Palau’s pioneer dive shop. http://www.fishnfins.com
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