Liveaboard Diving in Palau
Sponsored by M/Y Black Pearl
A small island country located in the western Pacific Ocean with spectacular coral reefs, Palau diving is best explored by liveaboard. Palau is made up of more than 340 islands, and its population is around 21,000 people. Its largest city, Koror, is home to the nation’s international airport and provides easy access to Palau liveaboard embarkation points. In this article, we will be exploring the best dive sites, diving conditions, topside activities, and introducing a new luxury liveaboard.
Palau Diving: A Primer
Palau is known as one of the best dive destinations in the world, offering crystal clear waters, diverse marine life, and stunning underwater landscapes. With over 400 species of hard coral, 300 species of soft coral, and 1,450 species of fish, Palau is a diver's paradise.
Palau's dive sites are diverse and abundant, offering something for everyone. From stunning coral gardens to thrilling drift dives, Palau has it all. Some of the most popular dive sites in Palau include Blue Corner, German Channel, Ulong Channel, and Jellyfish Lake. These sites are known for their vibrant coral reefs, pelagic marine life, and unique underwater topography.
Incredible biodiversity makes diving in Palau a constant adventure. With possible sightings of reef sharks, eagle rays, manta rays, hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks, whale sharks, and dugongs, divers will always be on the lookout for action in the blue water. Unique to Palau, divers can witness incredible congregations of fish as they participate in monthly spawning activities. Some Palau liveaboard itineraries cater specifically to the bumphead parrot fish spawning or the twin spot red snapper spawning events.
Clown fish in Anenome & Napoleon Wrasse: images by M/Y Black Pearl
Warm waters of 81-86°F (27-30°C) and an average air temperature of 82°F (28°C) makes Palau diving excellent year-round, with the dry season months from October to May being the most popular. While June to September see more wind and rain, typhoons and tropical storms are unusual due to Palau’s equatorial location. Divers interested in diving during spawning events need to plan a liveaboard in Palau during the new or full moon.
Diving in Palau is renowned for its moderate to strong currents, with reef hooks mandatory for divers to safely enjoy some dive sites. Due to the challenging conditions at many dive sites, it may be required that divers have a minimum amount of logged dives and a minimum certification of Advanced Open Water. Divers that do not meet these requirements may be able to dive in Palau with a private guide. For special dives such as spawning events, additional dive experience may be required. Trusted dive guides and cruise directors will always advise if a diver must skip a dive due to safety concerns.
Liveaboards enable divers to explore more of the archipelago’s dive sites than day trips from land-based resorts. With the boat covering distances while divers rest, eat, and enjoy the amenities onboard, diving from a liveaboard in Palau offers divers the opportunity to spend more time under the water while having an enjoyable and restful holiday.
M/Y BLACK PEARL: A NEW LUXURY LIVEABOARD IN PALAU
Divers seeking the ultimate in luxury while diving Palau need look no further than the M/Y Black Pearl, a modern luxurious superyacht providing the most sophisticated dive base in the region. It features 11 air-conditioned cabins with ensuite bathrooms, multiple outdoor and indoor lounges, and a dining area where guests can enjoy delicious meals prepared by the onboard chef. Diving from M/Y Black Pearl is done using its two 30-foot tender boats and divers enjoy small ratios (5 divers per guide), new rental diving equipment, and free nitrox. Safety is of the utmost importance, with oxygen and safety equipment onboard and every diver is supplied with a complimentary SMB and reef hook. Non-divers and divers alike will enjoy the many amenities aboard the yacht including a whirlpool, gym, kayaks, paddleboards, and more.
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The Top 5 Dive Sites in Palau
Palau diving includes a diverse selection of dive sites including historic WWII wrecks, walls, drift dives, caves, caverns, and more. Incredible visibility, a wide range of marine life, and thrilling currents await at Palau’s dive sites.
The top five dive sites in Palau include:
• Blue Corner
Blue Corner is one of Palau's most famous dive sites, and for good reason. It is a drift dive that starts at around 60 feet and takes you to a corner where the currents converge, attracting schools of fish and pelagic species like sharks and barracudas. Blue Corner is also home to the famous Napoleon Wrasse, a friendly fish that loves to interact with divers.
• German Channel
German Channel is a shallow channel that was used by German ships during World War II. Today, the channel’s mouth is a popular dive site that is home to manta rays, eagle rays, and many species of fish. German Channel is also known for its soft coral gardens, which are an underwater photographer's dream.
• Ulong Channel
Ulong Channel is a drift dive that takes you through a narrow channel surrounded by towering coral walls. The currents in the channel attract schools of fish and many species of sharks. Macro critters are also abundant at this dive site, making it a great location for underwater photography.
• Blue Holes
Blue Holes is a unique dive site that consists of four underwater sinkholes. The sinkholes are connected by tunnels and are home to many species of fish and coral. Blue Holes is also known for its resident population of reef sharks, which can be seen swimming in the tunnels.
• Chandelier Cave
Chandelier Cave is a unique dive site that consists of a series of underground chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The chambers are filled with freshwater and are home to many species of fish, including the famous Palauan blind cave eel.
With these spectacular dive sites, and many more to explore throughout Palau, divers can make the most of their time in the water by diving from a Palau liveaboard. Divers can sleep, relax, edit photos, eat, and enjoy the scenery while the ship moves between locations. Palau liveaboards are a great place to meet like-minded divers and new lifelong friends.
The Top 3 Topside Activities in Palau
A dive holiday in Palau would be incomplete without exploring some of the unique topside activities the island has to offer. During surface intervals, divers can indulge in the top three non-diving activities in Palau:
Jellyfish Lake
A remote island in Palau offers the unique opportunity to swim with millions of non-stinging jellyfish. A short 15-minute hike up a small hill brings visitors to this sensational lake where they can don a mask and snorkel and swim amongst the jellyfish.
Kayaking and Paddleboarding
A fantastic way to explore and appreciate the stunning topside scenery of Palau while getting a bit of exercise, kayaking and paddleboarding are a must while in Palau!
White Sand Beach
Visiting a pristine sandy beach on a remote island covered in vegetation is the perfect opportunity for photography and birdwatching, or just relaxing and taking in the scenery.
Jellyfish Lake & Kayaking: images by M/Y Black Pearl
With incredible offerings both underwater and topside, Palau deserves its recognition as one of the best diving destinations in the world. Palau diving includes some of the most diverse and sensational underwater landscapes on the planet.
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