Looking out over sapphire waves flecked with the teal atolls and glittering white sands of the Caroline Islands, it’s hard to imagine that the Pacific paradise below witnessed some of the most intense combat during World War II. 75 years ago, American and Japanese forces were engaged in brutal combat on the seas and in the Micronesian jungles during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign. Today a few corroding military structures act as a reminder of those struggles to the new wave of visitors to these waters.

Every year, tens of thousands of divers descend upon Palau’s capital of Korror for the chance to experience some of the world’s best-preserved reef systems. It’s one of the most biodiverse reefs I’ve ever had the pleasure of diving. In 2009, Palau created the world’s first official shark sanctuary, banning all commercial shark fishing within its exclusive economic zone. It now boasts a Marine Protected Area (MPA) the size of France and as a result, it has become a mecca for divers and marine biologists.

Our team headed to Palau to film a sequel for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Last year, Paul de Gelder and I spent two days floating in Atlantic around the Bahamas MPA for a show called Sharkwrecked. Our mission was to dispel the myth that shipwreck survivors should fear sharks – it is the sharks that have the most to fear from humans. Having vowed never to spend such a long period of time in the water again, Discovery successfully goaded us back beneath the waves with a trip to Palau.

Palau is one of the remaining safe havens for sharks, due to the strong environmental commitments made when it became an independent nation in 1994. Enshrined in its constitution is the requirement for ‘conservation of a beautiful, healthful, and resourceful natural environment.’ This foresight has served the country well, its waters earning a reputation of being one of the seven underwater wonders of the world. Palau’s marine ecosystems have remarkable biodiversity ranging from pristine coral gardens to large aggregations of manta rays, dolphins, reef and silky sharks and tiger sharks.