German Channel
This man-made channel through the southwest side of the barrier reef is home to two diving areas. One site, known as Manta Rock, is a natural cleaning station where giant manta rays come to have their bodies cleansed of parasites and debris by cleaner wrasses. Gray reef sharks also often avail themselves of the wrasses' services. The area is also inhabited by barracudas, snappers, titan triggerfish, gobies, lionfish, leaffish, and an octopus. Nearby is a coral garden that features crocodile fish, nudibranchs, flatworms, anemones and clown fish.

 

New Drop-Off
Halfway between Blue Corner and Big Drop-Off, this vertical wall is similar to Blue Corner in that it is a shallow shelf that juts out into the ocean, catching the current and creating an upwelling that attracts schools of pyramid butterflyfish and barracudas, along with a number of gray reef sharks. The steep wall is covered with soft corals and seafans.

 

Ngedebus Coral Gardens
One of the best collections of hard corals in the Pacific, this dive features a spur and groove reef structure that supports turtles, cuttlefish, anemones, tridacna clams, white tip reef sharks, and thousands of small schooling fish.

 

Ngerchong
The island of Ngerchong, just beyond Denges Passage has two dive sites nearby: Ngerchong Outside and Ngerchong Coral Gardens. Ngerchong Outside is a sloping wall dive featuring sea fans, anemones, soft corals and many hard coral formations. Sharks, bumphead parrotfish, and schooling fish are frequently seen here, as well as an occasional manta ray. The Coral Gardens, also known as Ngerchong Inside, is probably the best dive in Palau for seeing an abundance and variety of hard corals. Table coral, staghorn coral, elkhorn coral, mushroom coral and brain coral are just some of the varieties of corals found here. In addition, many anemones with clownfish, along with cuttlefish, turtles and other fish thrive here. This dive can be enjoyed at any depth between 10' and 80'.

 

Peleliu
The island of Peleliu, at the southern tip of the main archipelago of Palau, is bordered by magnificent walls. The dive sites include Peleliu Corner, Yellow Wall, and Orange Beach, among others. Peleliu dive sites are mainly steep walls covered with sea fans, sea whips, hard corals and anemones, but dominated by soft corals. Peleliu is an excellent place to observe large pelagic life, particularly sharks.

 

Short Drop-Off
A sloping wall just outside the entrance to Koror Harbor that is covered with giant seafans. The top of the wall is a beautiful coral garden loaded with tropical fish and invertebrates.

 

Siaes Tunnel
An extraordinary deep dive on the west side of the Palau, close to the Ulong Channel. The dive begins on a sheer wall with the opening of the tunnel starting at 70'. You enter through an opening, which is about 50' across and 20' high, and swim through the tunnel, which parallels the wall for 150'. The inside of the tunnel is a large cavern with a ceiling at 80-90' and the floor at 120-130'. Halfway through the tunnel is a "Window" in the wall that looks out onto the deep blue. You exit through a large opening on the wall at 80'. Stingrays, turtles, schools of jacks, and sharks can be seen in and around the tunnel.

 

Ulong Channel
This channel is located on the west side of Palau, close to Siaes Tunnel and Wall. Its entrance is surrounded by walls that are topped by beautiful coral gardens. On the incoming tide, the mouth of the channel is filled with gray reef sharks. The channel extends for a distance of approximately one-half mile, averaging 100' in width. The maximum depth is about 60'. Coral covered walls run the length of the channel on either side. A shallow ridge running the center of the channel is blanketed with soft corals, hard corals, sea fans, and anemones. Unique to this site is a huge patch of plate coral resembling lettuce leaves that is home to schools of squirrelfish, soldierfish and glasseyes. The current provides a gentle push, resulting in a beautiful, leisurely ride along the channel.

 

Wonder Channel
Located within the rock islands just a short distance from Jellyfish Lake and Clam City, this channel is best dived on the east side along a wall that starts at the surface and reaches a depth of 80'. Soft corals, sea fans, anemones, blue and red starfish, crown of thorns star-fish, crabs, pipefish, and a large variety of sea slugs, flat worms and nudibranchs can be found along this wall.

 

Wreck of the Iro Maru
A 145' long merchant ship sunk during World War II by American bombers, the Iro Maru sits upright in 120' of water just 10 minutes south of Koror. Three mast and gun turrets at the bow and stern support a large variety of invertebrates and hard corals. The main deck is at a depth of 80'with open holds containing oil drums and machinery.Top Dive Sites

Sample itineraries and maps are for illustrative purposes only. The exact route and sites visited are subject to change based on local regulations, guest experience, weather and logistics, and is at the Captain’s discretion.

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We recommend trip cancellation/interruption insurance

(don’t forget to include airfare as well as sleeping accommodations pre and post cruise) and we require dive accident insurance on this