Palau President Conducts ‘World First’ Underwater Interview

Surangel Whipps Jr, president of the Pacific island nation of Palau, has reportedly become the first world leader to conduct a live interview entirely underwater. The unusual initiative aimed to highlight the critical importance of ocean protection.

Palau, a nation of roughly 17,600 people, is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels, and Whipps has previously acknowledged that some of the country’s low-lying atolls could be lost in the coming years.

The Underwater Interview

• The interview featured Whipps alongside a “mermaid” and a giant clam, creating a striking visual to draw attention to marine conservation.
• The “mermaid” was Estonian Olympic swimmer and activist Merle Liivand.
• The underwater conversation was made possible by the LiFi Talking Mask, a technology that transmits sound underwater using light, promoted by social entrepreneur Gunter Pauli.

Whipps’ office confirmed: “Palau successfully hosted the world's first-ever live underwater conversation with a Head of State.”

Footage released by Pauli’s organisation, The Blue Economy, showed Whipps in full underwater gear speaking with Liivand. However, slightly garbled audio suggests the technology may still require refinement.

Palau and Ocean Conservation

• Palau is an archipelago of around 340 islands, located east of the Philippines.
• The nation has long prioritised the sustainable use of oceans, with Whipps stating post-dive: “Palau has always believed in the sustainable use of the oceans. It's in our DNA.”

While Whipps’ underwater interview is described as a world first for a sitting head of state, there have been other notable underwater political engagements:

• 2009: Then-Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed held an underwater cabinet meeting with scuba-clad ministers.
• 2019: Former Seychelles president Danny Faure conducted an interview from a submersible craft in the Indian Ocean.

Whipps’ initiative combines technology, environmental advocacy, and global attention to reinforce Palau’s commitment to ocean sustainability, setting a symbolic precedent for other leaders in regions threatened by climate change and rising seas.