With magnificent coral gardens, sheer walls teeming with life, and incredible caverns and drift dives, Palau is without a doubt one of the world’s most incredible places to dive. Enjoy this brief sampling of the best dive sites in Palau – which also happen to be some of the nicest on the planet!
Blue Corner
Not to be missed, Blue Corner is one of the world’s best dive sites. With a vertical wall where deep, nourishing ocean currents feed an incredible, ever changing array of fish, plus brilliant hard and soft coral of all kinds, this site is for experienced divers only.
While you are guaranteed to see reef sharks here, you’ll also encounter turtles and large pelagic fish, schooling barracudas, and countless tropical fish.
Peleliu Wall and Cut
A steep vertical wall that runs along Peleliu Island’s western side, then turns to extend to Peleliu Corner at the reef system’s southern tip, this is the deepest of Palau’s extensive reef structures. From the top of the plateau, which is at ten meters, you can admire the World War II monument, and then drop to 30 meters, where Peleliu Expressway and Peleliu Cut come together.
The coral growth here is magnificent and features heavy concentrations of black coral bushes, some of which are enormous, plus sea fans and brilliant yellow soft coral, cable coral and whip coral. Big bumphead parrotfish congregate here, with surgeonfish, fusiliers, sergeant majors, Moorish idols, and several types of angelfish are all in attendance as well.
Besides these smaller inhabitants, the area is famed for its sperm whale and orca sightings, whale sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks, sailfish, and blue marlin, as well as its schools of tuna, snapper, and jack, and other wonderful pelagic species.
Dive plans vary depending on the current, and this is one of those dives where you’ve got to stay with the group for safety. If bottom time allows, you’ll be able to hook onto a rock and watch the show!
German Channel
When German workers blasted and dredged this shallow channel back in the early 1900’s to help transport the phosphates they mined from Angaur to Koror, they had no idea that they were creating a fantastic dive site, nor that they were helping to form an incredible haven for marine life.
This shallow channel connects the lagoon with the outer reef, and sends a steady stream of plankton from the furthest reaches of the ocean right into the waiting mouths of the manta rays which come here to relax and visit the cleaning station, which is at 18 meters. With fantastic coral gardens located at seven to thirteen meters, the site is sometimes suitable for novices, unless the current is running strong – in which case it can only be enjoyed by experts.
Big Drop Off
A simple name for a stunning dive site, Big Drop Off is a very shallow site that starts in just two meters of water and which continues to eighteen meters. Home to butterfly fish and anthias, a few different types of angelfish, and anemones filled with clownfish and clarki, the site is also very popular with hawksbill turtles, which can be seen feeding and resting at the top of the reef. Look for nurse sharks and white tip reef sharks, barracuda, and larger reef fish at the bottom. The site is wreathed in soft coral and sea fans, which create a beautifully brilliant backdrop for some excellent photos.
You can also see the “Ball and Chain” here, which were used during the Second World War to prevent Japanese forces from entering German channel.
Devilfish City
One of the best places in Palau to dive with manta rays, Devilfish City has features between twelve and thirty meters, including three cleaning stations, and two rocky slopes covered with coral. You’ll only be able to dive here during slack high tide, so be sure to take this into consideration when planning your trip. The manta rays do not visit the cleaning stations during low tide, and during the incoming tide, the current can be too much to handle.
Besides the mantas, you can see bumphead parrotfish, cleaner wrasse and butterfly fish, schooling jacks and snappers, unicorn fish, and black-bar barracudas.
With fantastic resorts and hotels, world-class liveaboards, and plenty of outstanding dive operators, Palau is a wonderful place to relax and experience some amazing diving. Whether you enjoy scenic drifts, wreck diving, or simply wish to visit a spectacular underwater paradise, you are certain to have an incredible holiday!