Day 380: October 15, 2025 – Yap Islands, Federated States of Micronesia

The tiny island of Yap in Micronesia is best known for its stone money: giant disks made of crystalline limestone, which the Yapese have used as currency for centuries. Although traditional currency has replaced them for everyday trade, they are still used for ceremonial transactions such as birthdays, weddings, funerals, and in settling conflicts. They are a national symbol and are displayed on license plates.

The Yap Islands don’t have limestone quarries; the amazing thing about the stones is that they were transported on rafts by canoe from Palau, almost 250 miles away.

They are scattered along walkways and inside forests. It is estimated there are over 13,000 on the Yap islands, which have a population of 11,000.

The stones are enormous; some as large as 12 feet in diameter and weighing 8,800 lbs. The stone stays in place even when it changes ownership. Their value is based on the stone’s size, beauty, as well as its history.

The Men’s House is a focal point of Yap villages. Males gather here to coordinate what is considered men’s work, much of it related to fishing and protection of their lagoons. No girls allowed!

Scattered along mud banks are what locals call “cherry crabs,” most likely relatives of the fiddler crab.