In Depth
Palau has been a National Marine Reserve since 2015, with 500,000 square kilometers being a no-take zone. The marine biodiversity is impressive being home to approximately 1,400 fish species, 400 hard corals, 300 soft corals and thousands of invertebrates. Not only this, but pelagic species are in abundance including schooling fish, manta rays, sharks and eagle rays. Diving holidays in Palau are varied with pristine reefs, sheer walls, wrecks, drifts, caves and unique spawning dives.
‘Blue Corner’ is one of the best dive sites known for a plethora of marine life. Vast schools of snapper, barracuda, red-tooth triggerfish are seen as well as sharks, eagle rays, tuna, wahoo and turtles. If luck is on your side, it is possible to encounter hammerhead sharks, manta rays, sailfish and even whales...it is easy to see why this dive site is held in such high esteem. Currents can be strong so divers will often hook on to the reef to watch the spectacle unfold before them.
‘German Channel’, named so as it was occupied by Germain forces in WWII, is a busy cleaning station where manta rays, schooling reef sharks, eagle rays and large shoals of fish. Manta mating season is between December and March, so this is when numbers tend to be highest. Smaller reef dwellers are also in abundance, including nudibranchs, cuttlefish and shrimps.
For those with a keen interest in history, more than 60 Japanese wrecks sunk in Palau during WWII and whilst many were salvaged or lost forever, there are a few still intact within recreational dive limits making for fantastic wreck diving. ‘Jake Seaplane’ is an iconic plane wreck, resting among hard corals from 13 to 33m and visible from the surface.
One of the most unique opportunities on a diving holiday in Palau is witnessing the spawning events. During the Full and New Moon, huge aggregations of twin spot red snapper and bumpbead parrotfish respectively occur for mass spawning. With careful planning, divers will witness one of the most spectacular natural events on the planet where in a short period of time, hundreds to thousands of individuals will rush to the surface releasing their eggs and sperm in a cloud. During the frenzy, large predators will be attracted to the scene including bull sharks, silky sharks and oceanic black tips.
Liveaboard diving is the ideal way to experience the best dive sites in Palau due to their distance from the capital and being able to beat the day boats to the best spots. However it is also possible to enjoy resort-based diving from Koror, staying in luxury dive hotels, for those who prefer to keep their feet firmly on land between dives.
Beyond the Reef
There are a range of activities and excursions to be enjoyed on a diving holiday to Palau. Snorkel with stingless jellyfish at the famous jellyfish lake and kayak through pristine mangrove forests that are vital fish nurseries. Take an open-door helicopter flight to gain perspective over the stunning archipelago, hike through the rock islands or go on a guided WWII history tour on Peleliu island.