Scuba diving in Palau

Marine Life In Palau

With up to four dives per day in Palau you will have the opportunity to take in the incredibly diverse marine life that becomes centered here. The dive spots here are all within the area of the Pacific Ocean where 3 strong ocean currents meet bringing life from across the Pacific to this one area. Because of this dive tours in this area can be expected to involve spotting mantas, eagle rays, grey sharks, white tip reef sharks, many big sea creatures looking to arrive in Palau for a clean at the cleaning station or surfing in the current. Dive sites in Palau have more than 1500 fish species and more than 700 coral species to feast your eyes on. For such a small area dive tours in Palau will leave naturalists very pleased.

Best Dive Sites in Palau

Blue Corner This dive site in Palau is extremely popular and it has plenty of reason to be. With all the other divers at this site you will enjoy a wall dive with a strong current. This drift dive is not far from the coast of Koror the island's capital. The strong current will take you on a journey along this incredible wall. If you find yourself a rock grab on or use a reef hook to observe the many gray and white tip reef sharks who patrol the wall's edge. Look out for mackerel, tuna, turtles and spotted eagle rays surfing in the current. This dive should be only completed by experienced divers due to the drift current.

German Channel This channel was cut through the shallow reef that lies between Ngemilis Island and Ngercheu Island. It connects the lagoon to the ocean and was used in WWII. Now it acts as a busy cleaning station. Expect to see mantas, eagle rays, grey reef sharks and white tip sharks. At the edge of this channel you will dive the wall and coral slopes taking in mantas, sharks and wrasses. December to March is the mating season for manta rays here and the time to see them. Mantis shrimp, gobi-shrimp symbiosis and jawfish are spotted here amongst the stunning hard corals. Giant clams are spotted when drifting over the sand here.

Ulong Channel A good dive site for beginners with 13m sandy floor leading to little slopes on either side. This site only drops to around 20m north of the channel. Check out the batfish and spawning groupers on your dive tour. Often spotted here are stingrays, grey reef sharks and titan triggerfish protecting their nests. Enjoy a long dive here as the channel is shallow so you should be able to stretch your air to have a long dive. You can see coral bommies, interesting shapes and sizes of corals all around the entrance to this channel. At some point it will become time to unhook from the rock and follow your guide through the current.

The Big Drop Off As you descend watch your depth this is a 285m drop off to the sea bed. This dive has been said by many to be one fo the best wall dives on this planet. In the shallows you can catch a glimpse of many species of reef fish as you swim over large gorgonian fans, leather corals and purple soft corals. You can expect to see all different types of shark here: nurse, leopard, white tip and grey. Look closely to spot the nudibranches, leaffish, clarks anemone and blue-striped anemonefish. You enter the wall at either end depending on the current. Prepare to be dazzled as you follow your guide over this vast array of colour laid out in front of you.

Best Time To Dive in Palau

SEASONS & CONDITIONS: The best season to visit Palau is between November and May. Scuba diving in Palau can be enjoyed throughout the year. Liveaboards to take you scuba diving in Palau are available year round. The visibility in Palau is often up to 40 meters. Between July and September, the visibility can drop to 15-20 meters.

WATER TEMPERATURES: Palau's water temperatures are usually around 28- 29°Celsius but can drop to 26 at times. Most people choose a 3mm shorty to dive in these waters.

Experience Level for diving in Palau

Whilst their are options here to suit beginner divers, you can get the most out of Palau's diving options when you are advanced. Why not learn to dive in Palau by taking a drift dive advanced course or underwater photography options here.

How Do I Get To Palau?

Micronesia can be reached with United Airlines flights through Guam and Honolulu. From Guam it will take approximately 2 hours by flight to Palau direct. If choosing a Micronesia Liveaboard to take you scuba diving in Palau, they will usually depart from Koror Palau which can be easily reached once on the island by public transport.