Palau Aggressor II Captain's Logs

Aggressor Adventures · Nov 20, 2012

Palau Aggressor Trip Report November 11-18, 2012

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 75-86º F
Visibility: 30 100+ feet

Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Agnes, Nadia, John & Hector

Sunday
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us and the Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard Chris, Andrew, Ela, Viola, Janusz, Paul, Bettina, Fanny, Martha, Wei & Sheau, Stefan, Henrik, & Roz. After a quick orientation, our guests acquainted themselves with the yacht and each other and then received a peaceful nights rest.

Monday
Weary bodies started appearing to enjoy Chef Camerons breakfast spread that would fuel our bodies for a great days diving. The Helmet Wreck welcomed us with calm conditions. On the wreck we found an immense amount of soft and hard coral growth that housed nudibranchs, crabs, pipefish & shrimps. We had much to explore including of course the wreck itself. What a fantastic checkout dive. The wreck of the Iro Maru then gained our attention with anemone fish and nudibranchs taking the center stage. This 470-foot wreck allowed us to spread out and explore many nooks and crannies. The bow gun is quite impressive once your eyes make it out from all the encrusted coral growth on it. Another lovely wreck dive.

During a scrumptious lunch we journeyed over to Ngemelis Island to explore the wonders of Ngemelis Wall. This stunning wall is filled with all colors imaginable. Soft corals flourished along the wall, which looks like a florist store with exotic colorful flowers set in a perfect bouquet. To top it all the macro life was quite abundant with nudis, flat worms and long nose hawk fish, to name a few, along this magnificent sheer wall. We then took to opportunity of a nice incoming tide to splash into German Channel. We descended toward the pink anemone when we came across a rather hungry hawksbill turtle unperturbed by our presence. We delighted in photos and videos as lunch was being served. A stop at the pink anemone and then we visited the manta cleaning station. Not long after we settled at the cleaning station and the large silhouettes appeared above us. Profuse banging ensued. We decided to take a closer look and joined the mantas. They were also feeding. These majestic creatures were swooping by us with gaping mouths. Then the train started. 5 Mantas in formation glided by us, barely missing us. This was an amazing experience not easily forgotten. What an incredible way to end this wonderful day in Palau.

Tuesday
A beautiful morning broke over the rock islands of Palau and the Aggressor skiff set course to Blue Holes. This beautifully carved formation provided an amazing experience with sunlight streaming overhead through the four holes in the ceiling. Once the beauty was taken in we started our journey to Blue Corner. Along the way we were ushered by grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, a plethora of tropical fish and our affable napoleon wrasse family. Time then for a snack and the dive bell beckoned all the divers for some more of Palaus under water wonders. We decided to visit Ngemelis Wall.

Our next dive adventure took us to Blue Corner. This popular dive showcases much of the best Palau has to offer. From the get go we were greeted by a plethora of black snappers, barracuda and blue lined snapper on the edge of the wall. As we reached the plateau it was time to arm the reef hook and anchor in to enjoy the show. With a fairly mild current, hooking-in was quick and easy. Then black tip reek sharks and white tip reef sharks started making rather close passes. These majestic creatures glided without effort into this moderate current. Then out of the blue a rather affable napoleon wrasse beckoned for attention as he make his way to each of us. After a while we unhooked to explore more of the plateau. The wrasse followed. On the plateau we came across turtle, grouper, a massive school of pyramid butterfly fish and countless anthias and other reef fish. Then the Moorish idols in a school of a few hundred appeared to join the show. Scurrying from the mouths of the white tip reef sharks and grey reef sharks, these guys were darting back and fourth in perfect synchronization. Unfortunately this amazing dive had to end at some point; after all it was time to eat again.

A quick bite to eat and we were off to Turtle Cove. This dive has something for everyone. We started the dive penetrating a chimney that popped us out at 70 foot off the wall. Then we discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors. Then as the dive site name suggests the turtles came out to play. Green and hawks bill turtles were swimming off the wall, feeding and some taking their afternoon nap. Speaking of which, it was hammock time for us. Then by popular demand we enjoyed an encore dive at German Channel and the action was quite similar with the mantas still feeding and making barrel rolls for us. We enjoyed another brilliant days diving.

Wednesday
A beautiful day broke as we journeyed south toward Peleliu. Peleliu Corner was up first. This amazing dive allowed us to enjoy the stunning wall before hooking in and watching the sharks cruise by. Large schools of black snappers and barracuda came out before we explored the plateau. Then we decided to head to West Wall. Here the unmistakable yellow soft coral gets everyones attention. This stunning wall, which is very sheer, is filled with color and macro critters. A turtle causally swam by and hardly even noticed this gaggle of divers admiring him. Sharks cruised by us along the wall with pyramid butterfly fish and anthias scattered around us in the glistening sunrays. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive.

After lunch we stretched our legs a bit with a land tour. This exceptionally interesting tour took us back in time to September 1944 when the US Marines stormed the beaches of Peleliu. Our guide Tangi had a wealth of knowledge to share with us and showed us the US & Japanese memorial, amtracks, guns, Orange Beach and the 1000 man caves. Very interesting, yet sad.
Our next adventure takes us to Orange Beach. This wonderful sloping wall housed numerous nudibranchs and we encountered a sleeping green turtle and feeding hawksbill turtle. A banded sea snake was discovered rummaging for something to eat before heading for the surface. This was a very relaxing and enjoyable dive. Barracks Point then gained our attention and here we enjoyed a leisurely drift with tropical fish and gliding turtle. Yet another relaxing dive.

Thursday
Morning broke over the rock islands of Palau and it was time to revisit Blue Corner. With similar action as before we started the dive on the other side of the corner. This time the shark action was impressive. We could clearly see the results of vicious mating on the females. They made very close passes and we all thoroughly enjoyed the encore show. Then we headed to Big Drop Off. This shear wall is riddled with color and coral formations that simply dazzle. To compliment these stunning colors the abundant vibrant tropical fish going about their daily routine is awe striking. This proved to be another wonderful dive. Then time for an encore dive at Blue Corner. The same ensemble was back. The action at the corner was again head turning and lively with some exceptionally close passes of grey reef sharks and white tip sharks. Our friend the napoleon wrasse again visited us. German Channel was so well received on the past two occasions that it had to be revisited. We started our dive on the Peleliu side this time and then made our way to the cleaning station to see if any mantas would show up. On the way there we encountered an enormous school of scad that were being attacked by trevally and sharks. Just as the action got heated up a manta came cruising by and tolerated us for 5 minutes before disappearing into the blue. A pleasant drift down the channel was enjoyed as a delightful end to this wonderful dive. This was a fantastic way to end the day.

Friday
The Palau Aggressor made passage to Ulong Island as the sun rose in the north Pacific. Our day started with none other than the famous Ulong Channel. The famous channel lived up to its reputation with sharks, jacks and bait balls cruising by the mouth of the channel as we anchored ourselves with our reef hooks. The show was busy and once we saw 20 minutes of pelagic action it was time for a ride down the channel. Sleeping white tips in the sand scurried as we approached them. The most prolific coral life in Palau was seen on the magical ride down the channel. Groupers darted into their coral homes as we whizzed by and then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. Siaes Corner was next on our agenda. The dive started fairly mild with beautiful color fish walls and anthias as far as the eye could see. Then the action started heating up with a squadron of sharks cruising by. This was another amazing dive.

Lunch was enjoyed to fuel ourselves for some more Ulong diving. The dive bell rang and it was time to visit Ulong Gardens. This relaxing dive produced more sharks off the wall and colorful coral gardens on the plateau with amazing giant clams resting in the sand. The coral in the gardens are amazing and so diverse. The colors astounded us as we explored every nook and cranny and had a great time doing so. This was a very enjoyable and relaxing dive. We then made time for a quick snack and lay in the hammock and back out we went. A quick snack and we returned to Ulong Channel by popular demand. This time the current was a little stronger. We also visited the beautiful giant clams that we missed on the first dive. With so much activity we were spoilt with a great days diving.

Saturday
Our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. These non-stinging jellies were so thick you could hardly see the person next to you. It felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. Getting our jellyfish fix we decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy before continuing you dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

We would like to congratulate Viola for completing her 300th dive, Roz for her 400th and Stefan for his 555th dive. The cake was rather messy as I recall. An honorable mention is Sheau who completed her 100th dive, but she made sure it was the best-kept secret of the week. Martha and Sheau went on to continue the diving education with an Underwater Photo course, congratulations! Martha also completed her Nitrox course!

So the week comes to a close. All of us here on the Palau Aggressor II wish our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!

Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Nov 26, 2012

Palau Aggressor Captains Report November 18-25, 2012

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 75-86º F
Visibility: 30 100+ feet

Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Agnes, Nadia, John, Andy & Hector

Sunday
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us and the Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard our Russian comrades Julia & Vasily, Igor & Maria, Oleg, Alxey & Larisa, Costa & Tanya, Irina & Evgeny, Victor, Julia, Irina, Arkady, and our Hawaiian friends Joe and Ann. After a quick orientation, our guests acquainted themselves with the yacht and each other and then received a peaceful nights rest.

Monday
Weary bodies started appearing to enjoy Chef Camerons breakfast spread that would fuel our bodies for a great days diving. The wreck of the Teshio gained our attention with anemone fish and nudibranchs taking the center stage. This wreck allowed us to spread out and explore many nooks and crannies. Then we visited the Iro Maru. This large wreck gave us ample exploring room and housed an impressive array of nudis, flatworms and large schools of jacks. The bow gun is quite impressive once your eyes make it out from all the encrusted coral growth on it. Another lovely wreck dive. During a scrumptious lunch we journeyed over to Ulong Island to explore the wonders of Ulong Coral Gardens. The gardens lived up to its reputation with sharks, jacks and bait balls cruising along the edge of the wall. With so much activity on our first day we were spoilt with a great days diving. What a way to start our Palauan adventure.

Tuesday
We started to day the right way with a trip over to Ulong Channel. The famous channel lived up to its reputation with an amazing wall and coral gardens followed by plenty sharks cruising by the mouth of the channel. We anchored ourselves with our reef hooks and enjoyed the close encounters. The show was busy and once we saw 30 minutes of pelagic action it was time for a ride down the channel. Sleeping white tips in the sand scurried as we approached them. The most prolific coral life in Palau was seen on the magical ride down the channel. Then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive followed by two beautifully set giant clams. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. Time then for lunch during our passage to Ngemelis Island and the dive bell beckoned all the divers for some more of Palaus under water wonders. We decided to visit Ngemelis Wall. This stunning wall is filled with all colors imaginable. Soft corals flourished along the wall, which looks like a florist store with exotic colorful flowers set in a perfect bouquet. To top it all the macro life was quite abundant with nudis, flat worms and long nose hawk fish, to name a few, along this magnificent sheer wall. A quick bite to eat and we were off to Blue Corner. This popular dive showcases much of the best Palau has to offer. From the get go we were greeted by a plethora of black snappers, barracuda and blue lined snapper on the edge of the wall. As we reached the plateau it was time to arm the reef hook and anchor in to enjoy the show. With a fairly mild current, hooking-in was quick and easy. Then black tip reek sharks and white tip reef sharks started making rather close passes. These majestic creatures glided without effort into this moderate current. Then out of the blue a rather affable napoleon wrasse beckoned for attention as he make his way to each of us. After a while we unhooked to explore more of the plateau. The wrasse followed. On the plateau we came across turtle, grouper, a massive school of pyramid butterfly fish and countless anthias and other reef fish. This put to a close a wonderful days diving in Palau.

Wednesday
Morning broke over the rock islands of Palau and it was time to revisit Blue Corner. With similar action as before we started the dive on the other side of the corner. This time the shark action was impressive. We could clearly see the results of viscous mating on the females. They made very close passes and we all thoroughly enjoyed the encore show. After a little snack break it we were off to German Channel. This dive impressed us with fantastic bait ball action with sharks and giant trevally darting through the morphing formations of scad. Then we approached the manta cleaning station and they immediately started appearing. Large graceful mantas flew in to get their spa treatment and on route made extremely close passes. This was a memorable encounter. After a delectable lunch it was time for Turtle Cove. This dive has something for everyone. We started the dive penetrating a chimney that popped us out at 70 foot off the wall. Then we discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors. Then as the dive site name suggests the turtles came out to play. Green and hawks bill turtles were swimming off the wall, feeding and some taking their afternoon nap. Speaking of which, it was hammock time for us. For the late afternoon splash we visited Ngedebus Coral Gardens where we enjoyed a relaxing dive in the beautiful gardens. The highlight was a beautiful leopard shark just lying on the sand. A great dive and way to end the day.

Thursday
A beautiful morning broke and we headed to Blue Holes. A stone throw away from Blue Corner, Blue Holes is an awesome chamber with skylights overhead allowing streams of sunrays in. We perused the chamber looking for little critters and then headed to the corner. We were accompanied by a turtle, white tip reef shark and wall-to-wall pyramid butterfly fish. At the corner we hooked in for a while before boarding the express. We then journeyed south toward Peleliu. Peleliu Corner was up next. This amazing dive allowed us to enjoy the stunning wall before hooking in and watching the sharks cruise by. Large schools of black snappers and barracuda came out before we explored the plateau and found a juvenile emperor angelfish. Lunchtime was followed by a little tour. This exceptionally interesting tour took us back in time to September 1944 when the US Marines stormed the beaches of Peleliu. Our guide Tangi had a wealth of knowledge to share with us and showed us the US & Japanese memorial, amtracks, guns, Orange Beach and the 1000 man caves. Very interesting yet sad. After lunch we decided to head to West Wall. Here the unmistakable yellow soft coral gets everyones attention. This stunning wall, which is very sheer, is filled with color and macro critters. A turtle causally swam by and hardly even noticed this gaggle of divers admiring him. Sharks cruised by us along the wall with pyramid butterfly fish and anthias scattered around us in the glistening sunrays. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. Our next adventure takes us to Orange Beach. This wonderful sloping wall housed numerous nudibranchs and flatworms and we encountered more turtles. This was a very relaxing and enjoyable dive. We then dived into Turtle Cove for the night dive. We enjoyed a mild drift along the reef as we came across crabs, sleepy angelfish and more nudibranchs.

Friday
Morning broke and it was then time for a dive at New Drop Off. After practicing our hook-in techniques at Blue Corner this was a breeze. This dive, considered a mini Blue Corner by some, offers fantastic pelagic action. On this occasion it was no different. With crystal clear water we descended into a thick school of pyramid butterfly fish and patrolling reef sharks. We hooked in for a while and watched the giant sharks cruising and then enjoyed a casual drift along the plateau. We then returned for some more Blue Corner action and we were not disappointed. The current was a little stronger than before and we enjoyed the shark action along with our friendly napoleon returning for more attention. Lunch followed and German Channel was up next. With similar action as before we enjoyed the frantic action with more scad, sharks, and mantas. For our final dive of the day we headed to Ferns Wall. This colorful wall was filled with a kaleidoscope of soft corals, red whip corals with nudi's and flatworms going about their daily routine. We also encountered another graceful leopard shark. This was a fantastic way to end the day! Dinner and a movie followed where we reminisced fondly on what a wonderful week we had.

Saturday
Our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jelly Fish Lake. These non-stinging jellies were so thick you could hardly see the person next to you. It felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. Getting our jellyfish fix we decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy before continuing you dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

We would like to congratulate Joe and Ann for successfully completing their Nitrox class! So the week comes to a close. All of us here on the Palau Aggressor wish our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!

Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Dec 11, 2012

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 75-83º F
Visibility: 10-50 feet
Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Agnes, Nadia, John & Hector

Tuesday
Typhoon Bopha may have delayed the start to our Palauan adventure, but it did not dampen any spirits. The Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard Tony & Christina, Deb & Dianne, Brownie & Martha, and Marcel & Roz. After a quick orientation, our guests acquainted themselves with the yacht as we made passage to German Channel. The conditions recovered exceptionally well and we made our way to the outer reef. Blue Corner looked inviting with nice surface conditions so we took the plunge. This popular dive showcases much of the best Palau has to offer. From the get-go we were greeted by a plethora of black snappers, barracuda and blue lined snapper on the edge of the wall. As we reached the plateau it was time to arm the reef hook and anchor in to enjoy the show. Then out of the blue a rather affable napoleon wrasse beckoned for attention as he make his way to each of us. After a while we unhooked to explore more of the plateau. The wrasse followed. We enjoyed the dive at Blue Corner so much that we had to return for another dive.

Wednesday
Morning broke over the rock islands of Palau and it was time to revisit Blue Corner. With similar action as before we started the dive on the other side of the corner. This time the shark action was impressive. Small schools of Moorish idols have appeared with white tip reef sharks hot on their tails. They made very close passes and we all thoroughly enjoyed the encore show. Then we headed to New Drop Off. This shear wall is riddled with color and coral formations that simply dazzle. To compliment these stunning colors the abundant vibrant tropical fish going about their daily routine is awe striking. We approached the hook in area at a fair pace and enjoyed the shark action. This proved to be another wonderful dive. Lunch beckoned followed by some hammock time and then it was time for some more wonderful Palauan diving. Turtle Cove gained our attention with a kaleidoscope of soft corals. This amazingly colorful wall was filled with nudibranchs and flat worms with whip coral gobies sneaking up and down the whip coral. Then, as the name suggests, the turtles came out to play. Both green and hawksbill turtles casually swam by us. A quick break and then it was time for an encore dive at Blue Corner. The same ensemble was back. The action at the corner was again head turning and lively with some exceptionally close passes of grey reef sharks and white tip sharks. Our friend the napoleon wrasse again visited us.

Thursday
Morning broke in the Pacific as we headed to German Channel. This is a gem of a dive site. We started off at the pink anemone and headed to the mouth of the channel. Here we encountered a massive bait ball with a large school of snapper shadowing them. Then from the sand a large marble ray dusted himself off before cruising beside the group and disappeared into the blue. Then to top the dive we encountered some mantas feeding near the surface. This was a great way to start the day. Breakfast was followed by a journey down to Peleliu where we boarded the Express. This amazing dive allowed us to enjoy the wall before hooking in and watching the sharks cruise by. We learnt pretty quickly why they refer this dive to as the Express. The current picked up to racing speed so we unhooked and simply enjoyed the low level flying. The highlight of the drift across the plateau had to be the hovering giant trevally. It was amazing to see how these giant trevally made easy pickings of what was a large school of blue tangs. This concluded a very thrilling dive. Then we splashed into West Wall. This wonderful wall housed a large anemone with tomato anemone fish and numerous nudibranchs. Here we encountered sleeping green turtles and feeding hawksbill turtles. This was a very relaxing and enjoyable dive. A beautiful sunset ended a wonderful day here in Palau.

Friday
The Palau Aggressor made passage to Ulong Island. Our day started with none other than the famous Ulong Channel. The famous channel lived up to its reputation with sharks, jacks and bait balls cruising by the mouth of the channel as we anchored ourselves with our reef hooks in this very mild current. Then it was time for a ride down the channel. Sleeping white tips in the sand scurried as we approached them. The most prolific coral life in Palau was seen on this drift down the channel. Groupers darted into their coral homes as we whizzed by and then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive. Ulong Channel was enjoyed so much that we returned for our second dive. Lunch on the beach was followed by a dive at Siaes Tunnel. Here we entered the tunnel and searched for nudibranchs and dart fish. As we exited the tunnel we enjoyed a wonderful meander along the wall where turtles and tropical fish surrounded us. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. Siaes Corner was next on our agenda. The dive started fairly mild with beautiful color fish walls and anthias as far as the eye could see. Then the action started heating up with a squadron of sharks cruising by. This was another amazing dive. With so much activity we were spoilt with a great days diving.

Saturday
Our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. These non-stinging jellies were so thick you could hardly see the person next to you. It felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. Getting our jellyfish fix we decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy before continuing you dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

So the week comes to a close. All of us here on the Palau Aggressor wish our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!
Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Dec 18, 2012

Palau Aggressor Trip Report December 9-16, 2012

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 75-86º F
Visibility: 30 100+ feet
Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Nadia, John & Hector

Sunday
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us and the Palau Aggressor II is happy to welcome our guests onboard. After a quick orientation, our guests acquainted themselves with the yacht and each other and then received a peaceful nights rest.

Monday
Weary bodies started appearing to enjoy Chef Camerons breakfast spread that would fuel our bodies for a great days diving. During a scrumptious breakfast we journeyed over to Ulong Island to explore the wonders of Ulong Channel. The famous channel lived up to its reputation with sharks, jacks and bait balls cruising by the mouth of the channel as we anchored ourselves with our reef hooks. The show was busy and once we saw 20 minutes of pelagic action it was time for a ride down the channel. Sleeping white tips in the sand scurried as we approached them. The most prolific coral life in Palau was seen on the magical ride down the channel. Groupers darted into their coral homes as we whizzed by and then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. A quick snack and we returned to Ulong Channel by popular demand. This time the current was a little milder. After lunch we explored Siaes Corner that entertained us with a beautiful wall with sharks and anthias abound. With so much activity on our first day we were spoilt with a great days diving. What a way to start our Palauan adventure. We then journeyed to German Channel.

Tuesday
The sun broke over Omekang Island and the skiff headed to the Blue Holes. A stone throw away from Blue Corner, Blue Holes is an awesome chamber with skylights overhead allowing streams of light rays in. We perused the chamber looking for little critters and then headed to the corner. We were accompanied by a turtle, white tip reef shark and wall-to-wall pyramid butterfly fish. The current was perfect to take us to the corner. Sharks galore and massive schools of jacks and barracuda made our heads spin. New Drop Off was next. After practicing our hook-in techniques at Blue Corner this dive was a breeze. The dive, considered a mini Blue Corner by some, offers fantastic pelagic action. On this occasion it was no different. We descended into a thick school of pyramid butterfly fish and patrolling reef sharks making really close passes. We hooked in for a while and watched some reef sharks cruising by. We then unhooked and explored the plateau and came across 2 nestled turtles. A large school of blue lined snapper parted as we swam right through the middle of them. A quick bite to eat and we were off to Turtle Cove. This dive has something for everyone. We started the dive penetrating a chimney that popped us out at 70 foot off the wall. Then we discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors. Then as the dive site name suggests the turtles came out to play. Green and hawksbill turtles were swimming off the wall, feeding and some taking their afternoon nap. Speaking of which, it was hammock time for us. Our next dive adventure took us to Blue Corner. This popular dive showcases much of the best Palau has to offer. From the get go we were greeted by a plethora of black snappers, barracuda and blue lined snapper on the edge of the wall. Then grey tip reek sharks and white tip reef sharks started making rather close passes. Then out of the blue a rather affable napoleon wrasse beckoned for attention as he make his way to each of us. The wrasse followed. On the plateau we came across turtle, grouper, a massive school of pyramid butterfly fish and countless anthias and other reef fish. We enjoyed another brilliant days diving.

Wednesday
Morning broke over the rock islands of Palau and it was time to revisit Blue Corner. With similar action as before we started the dive on the other side of the corner. This time the shark action was impressive. We could clearly see the results of viscous mating on the females. They made very close passes and we all thoroughly enjoyed the encore show. Then we headed to Peleliu. Peleliu Corner was up next. This amazing dive allowed us to enjoy the stunning wall with large schools of black snappers and barracuda came out before we explored the plateau. After lunch we decided to head to West Wall. Here the unmistakable yellow soft coral gets everyones attention. This stunning wall, which is very sheer, is filled with color and macro critters. A turtle causally swam by and hardly even noticed this gaggle of divers admiring him. Sharks cruised by us along the wall with pyramid butterfly fish and anthias scattered around us in the glistening sunrays. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. Our next adventure takes us to Orange Beach. This wonderful sloping wall housed numerous nudibranchs and flatworms and we encountered more turtles and 2 crocodile fish. This was a very relaxing and enjoyable dive. We then returned to Orange Beach for the night dive. We enjoyed a mild drift along the reef as we came across crabs, sleepy angelfish and more nudibranchs. This ended another great days diving in Palau.

Thursday
Morning broke and it was then time for an encore dive at Blue Corner. The same ensemble was back. The action at the corner was again head turning and lively with some exceptionally close passes of grey reef sharks and white tip sharks. Our friend the napoleon wrasse again visited us. It was an amazing dive! We then splashed into Big Drop Off. More soft coral was admired by all with more macro life and a turtle casually swimming by. This gorgeous wall has bunches of soft coral, a variety of anemones and sea fans that we always had something to look at. The macro life was also quite prolific with 4 different nudibranchs and crabs. After lunch we revisited New Drop Off. This time the orange spine surgeonfish were out in the hundreds. This impressive school was darting back and forth narrowly escaping the jaws of the grey reef sharks hot on their tails. Then we found the nestling turtles again as well as the large school of blue lined snappers. We enjoyed this dive again. German Channel was up next. We started our dive at a beautiful pink anemone and then made our way to the cleaning station to see if any mantas would show up. It was not long before we spotted them above us feeding. Initially we saw 3 maybe 4. When we moved closer to them it became clear that there were many more. Some counted 9 manta rays performing graceful manta ballet with barrel rolls being the dance of choice. With gaping mouths these majestic creatures would scoop up plankton while dancing, we thought, for us. It is indescribable to imagine what is must be like to be completely surrounded by manta rays dancing all around you. This was a fantastic way to end the day.

Friday
The day started with a trip over to Virgin Blue Holes. This dramatic topography was thoroughly enjoyed with the initial chimney swim through and then the canyons created some fantastic exploration opportunities. Our next adventure took us to Ngedebus Coral Gardens. Here we were treated to a garden of corals that had nudibranchs and cuttlefish. Then as we explored further along the slopping wall, we came across a sleeping leopard shark and the striking whiptail stingray. Back to the yacht for a quick snack and then we geared up for Ngedebus Corner. This dive produced a colorful reef consisting of pastel pink, purple and orange soft corals scattered along the wall. Here we encountered a few turtle, large schools of pyramid butterfly fish, anthias and fusiliers whizzing by us. The dive continued with anemones with their cute anemone fish playing peek-a-boo with the gaggle of divers passing by. Then it was time for an encore dive at German Channel. Again we were not disappointed and found more mantas and also large schools of scad being attacked by sharks and giant trevally. After all the action we took a leisurely drift into the channel to enjoy the diverse coral life. What a great dive! Dinner and a movie followed where we reminisced fondly on what a wonderful week we had.

Saturday
Our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. These non-stinging jellies were so thick you could hardly see the person next to you. It felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. Getting our jellyfish fix we decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy before continuing you dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

We would like to congratulate Guenter for completing his 600th dive and John for celebrating his birthday with us! So the week comes to a close. All of us here on the Palau Aggressor II wish our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!

Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Jan 2, 2013

Palau Aggressor Captains Report December 23-30, 2012

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 86-92º F
Visibility: 40110+ feet
Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, John, Agnes, Andy & Hector

Sunday.
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us. The Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard our friends from Indonesia: Greg & Pat, Goh, Darren, Ana, Cindy, Ming, Janice, Ning, Aroon and Richard, then from Canada we welcome Iain and Alicia, then from the US it is our please to welcome Mike & Judy and David & Debra. After a delightful dinner, we followed with the safety orientation and were off to bed for a peaceful nights rest.

Monday.
Flat, calm conditions inspired us to head out toward the Iro Maru. This larger wreck has much to explore. As we descended we could see the stern gun covered with coral growth. Off to the side of the wreck the glistening of a large school of jacks caught our attention. As we started exploring the deck of the ship we came across some beautiful nudibranchs and stunning soft coral. We then explored the king posts and enjoyed a parade of batfish cruising by. This was a great check-out dive! After a short journey we arrived at Ulong Island and splashed into Ulong Channel. The famous channel lived up to its reputation with sharks, jacks and bait balls cruising by the mouth of the channel as we anchored ourselves with our reef hooks, although the current was very mild. We then continued down the channel to explore the prolific coral formations. Sleeping white tips in the sand scurried as we approached them. Groupers darted into their coral homes as we passed by and then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive. We enjoyed the dive so much that we returned to the channel for an encore dive. A quick break allowed time for a great snack. Ulong Coral Gardens gained our attention next. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. This delightful dive gave us reef sharks off the wall and batfish curiously swimming up to us. Nudibranchs and flatworms were seen in the shallows with anthias and fusiliers whizzing by us. This was a great way to end a wonderful days diving.

Tuesday.
A beautiful Christmas day broke over Ulong Island. After a tasty breakfast the dive skiff headed to Siaes Tunnel. This amazing dive offers both a beautiful tunnel formation and incredible wall in one dive. We started off in the tunnel exploring almost every nook and cranny for little critters. We managed to find the elusive pigmy blue back butterfly fish and a few flatworms. Then as we swam out of the tunnel a whole new world opened up. The wall was rich with colors and fish life. Schools of snapper, anthias and barracuda were waiting for us. Photographers were delighted to be in the middle of all the action.

The Palau Aggressor II then made passage to Ngemelis Island that set the stage for some amazing diving. Ngemelis Wall was up first. This shear wall looked like an artist pallet splashed with stunning color. The soft corals were painted with pastel pinks, purples, yellows and oranges. Sea fans that stretched out off the wall sheltered the stealthy long nose hawk fish while a large green turtle swam by. This was a very enjoyable drift dive. A tasty snack awaited our return and after a little hammock time we splashed into the famous Blue Corner. This amazing dive is like watching the National Geographic Channel live. Initially we had a casual swim along the stunning wall as we headed toward the hook in area. Along the way the hustle and bustle of giant trevally, barracuda, snapper and pyramid butterfly fish made our heads spin. Then the inbound white tip sharks appeared followed by some large black tip reef sharks, both making extremely close passes. To take full advantage of the beauty of Blue Corner with its known current we anchored ourselves to the edge of the wall with our reef hooks. This quick and easy set-up allows us to effortlessly enjoy the magic that the current presents. Sharks, barracuda, turtles, trevally and various snapper love the nutrient rich flowing water and we are right in the middle of it. Then suddenly a Napoleon wrasse makes an appearance. Very approachable, this affable wrasse with its puppy dog eyes makes its rounds to every one of us and made some new friends. Outstanding! The dive bell rang and it was time for New Drop Off. This dive, considered a mini-Blue Corner by some, offers fantastic pelagic action. On this occasion it was no different. We descended into a thick school of pyramid butterfly fish and patrolling reef sharks. After a relaxing wall dive we explored the plateau and came across a moray eel, coral crabs and a few sleeping green turtles. Then a large school of blue lined snapper parted as we swam right through the middle of them on our way up to do our safety stop. This ended a very enjoyable Christmas day in Palau.

Wednesday.
A beautiful morning broke and it was time for the famous Blue Holes. With beautiful visibility, Blue Holes provided a unique experience with four holes on top of the reef that all lead into one large chamber. From within the holes we looked up and enjoyed the sunrays breaking through the ceiling. Numerous photos were taken. We then exited the holes through a large exit and drifted with the current along a stunning wall toward Blue Corner. This gave us a taste of the famous corner with large schools of snapper, barracuda, sharks and giant trevally all out and about. After a snack and a little break we headed out to Ferns Wall. This sheer wall is filled with sea fans and soft corals that provide a home to many macro critters. Here we found nudibranchs, flatworms and the shy long nose hawkfish. The wall was also filled with tropical fish and some sharks patrolling the wall below us.

During a delectable lunch we moved the yacht to Turtle Cove. The bell rang and it was time to dive Turtle Cove. This dive has something for everyone. We started the dive penetrating a chimney that popped us out at 70 foot off the wall. Then we discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors. Then as the dive site name suggests the turtles came out to play. Green and hawksbill turtles were swimming off the wall, feeding and some taking their afternoon nap. Speaking of afternoon naps that is exactly what we decided was necessary after a scrumptious lunch. After a well-deserved lunch we headed back to Blue Corner. This time we enjoyed both sides of the corner as the current switched on us providing a unique opportunity to encounter all of the corner in one dive. Our friendly wrasses were back as were all the sharks, black snapper turtle and blue lined snapper. This was an incredibly enjoyable day!

Thursday.
A beautiful morning broke as the Palau Aggressor II made passage over to Peleliu. We started our day exploring Peleliu Corner. Famous for its currents, Peleliu Corner is not for the faint-hearted. This time however we encountered no current and it gave us time to explore all of the corner. We started the dive by cruising along the wall where we simply enjoyed the life that passed us by. Orangutan crabs, sharks, turtle and a large puffer fish kept us entertained. As we approached what is normally the hook in area we encountered numerous sharks and a massive school of snapper. This school covered the ocean like wallpaper and seemed to swim along side of us. The remaining part of the dive was enjoyed drifting along the plateau where we saw 'Dori 'the pallet surgeonfish, turtles and more sharks. Next up the bell rang for West Wall. Here the unmistakable yellow soft coral gets everyones attention. This stunning wall, which is very sheer, is filled with color and macro critters. A turtle causally swam by and hardly even noticed this gaggle of divers admiring him. Sharks cruised by us along the wall with pyramid butterfly fish and anthias scattered around us in the glistening sunrays. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive.

We then decided to stretch our legs a bit and go on a tour of Peleliu. This exceptionally interesting tour took us back to September 1944 when the US Marines stormed the beaches of Peleliu. Our guide James showed us the US & Japanese memorial, amtracks, guns, Orange Beach and the 1000 man caves. What a touching tour. Lunch and a little nap until our next adventure took us to Orange Beach. This wonderful sloping wall housed numerous nudibranchs and flatworms and we encountered more turtles and large schools of snapper. This was a very relaxing and enjoyable dive. We then headed to Barracks Point for the late afternoon dive. The visibility here was amazing. This beautiful wall gave us sea fans soft coral and a stunning giant clam that was much adored by the photographers. A gentle drift with a host of tropical fish allowed us to relax and enjoy this great dive.

Friday.
Morning broke with a wonderful sunrise as we headed back to Blue Corner. The dive produced great visibility, sharks, large schools of barracuda and our friendly Napoleon wrasse. Another amazing dive at the famous corner. Then it was decided to return to New Drop Off. This time we encountered stronger current. After enjoying a drift along the wall, we hooked in and enjoyed the shark action followed by a massive school of chevron barracuda that swam right through the group. We also encountered a large sleeping turtle and then the orange spine surgeonfish came out to play. There must have been hundreds of them schooling around us. Very impressive.

After lunch we decided to enjoy Big Drop Off. This beautiful wall with its sea fans and macro life was enjoyed by everyone as we drifted along with the mild current. Our next dive took us to German Channel, which seemed appropriate, and were we in for a treat. We descended into a massive bait ball with a school of black snapper circling off to the side of us. We headed to the manta cleaning station and encountered a manta fly by. Then we swam across the mouth of the channel where we encountered a large school of scad swirling around to keep out of the mouths of the circling sharks. A little further along the dive and we encountered 2 more mantas! This made for a memorable dive!

Saturday.
Another gorgeous morning broke and our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. This stratified marine lake houses the unique non-stinging jellies. They were everywhere you looked and it felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. After getting our jellyfish fix we headed back to Koror and meandered through the rock islands and stopped at the famous archway for a photo shoot. Then back to diving. We decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy or take some photos before continuing your dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

So the week comes to a close. We would like to wish all a Merry Christmas and congratulations to Ming for completing his Digital Underwater Photo course, Cindy, Pat, Richard and Goh for completing their Nitrox course and Ming completed his 100th dive on the Palau Aggressor II. He liked his cake way more than the sharks!

So all of us here on the Palau Aggressor II wish all our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!
Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Jan 8, 2013

Palau Aggressor Captains Report Dec 30, 2012 - Jan 6, 2013

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 78-86º F
Visibility: 30100+ feet
Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Agnes, Hector, John & Andy

Sunday
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us. The Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard Michael & Julie, Daniel & Razvan, Michael & Kimberly, Michael & Martin, David & Shelley, Thomas & Danja, Lisa & Shannon, Paul & Lisa, Glen, & Carlos. After a quick orientation, our guests acquainted themselves with the yacht and each other, then received a peaceful nights rest.

Monday
Weary bodies started appearing to enjoy Chef Camerons breakfast spread that would fuel our bodies for a great days diving. The Helmet Wreck welcomed us with calm conditions. On the wreck we found an immense amount of soft and hard coral growth that housed nudibranchs, crabs & shrimp. We had much to explore including of course the wreck itself. What a fantastic checkout dive. The wreck of the Iro Maru then gained our attention with anemone fish and nudibranchs taking the center stage. This 470-foot wreck allowed us to spread out and explore many nooks and crannies. The bow gun is quite impressive once your eyes make it out from all the encrusted coral growth on it. Another lovely wreck dive. During a scrumptious lunch we journeyed over to Ulong Island to explore the wonders of Ulong Coral Gardens. This sloping wall looked like an artist pallet splashed with stunning color. Massive tabletop corals covered the reef and tropical reef fish whizzed by. We also came across a large school of scad in a tight bait ball as we explored these lovely coral gardens. Sandy Paradise was our next adventure. This dive produced slightly different topography with finger like reef ridges. Again the reef fish were abounding with some nudibranchs crawling around. This was a great start to our Palauan Adventure. We then celebrated the New Year with some bubbly and were off to bed.

Tuesday
Morning broke and we enjoyed the underwater sights of Ulong Channel. The famous channel produced numerous sharks and jacks cruising by the mouth of the channel. As we reached the channel we encountered reef sharks coming in pretty close. After watching the action for some time we headed into the channel and enjoyed the prolific coral life while doing some low altitude flying. Sleeping white tips in the sand scurried as we approached them. Groupers galore darted into their coral homes as we swam by. This wonderful drift through the channel allowed us to see all of the channel including a massive patch of lettuce coral and 2 beautifully set giant clams. What an incredible dive!

The Palau Aggressor then made passage to Ngemelis Island and we took a plunge into Ngemelis Wall. Here the soft corals were painted with pastel pinks, purples, yellows and oranges. Sea fans that stretched out off the wall sheltered the stealthy long nose hawk fish. Soft corals and tubestria along with fern-like coral turned our heads as we looked out for macro life. We discovered sea slugs and flat worms crawling on some coral and the occasional shark cruised below us aimlessly patrolling the wall. Time for lunch and get fueled up for more adventure. New Drop Off was up next. This dive, considered a mini Blue Corner by some, offers fantastic pelagic action. On this occasion it was no different. We descended into a thick school of pyramid butterfly fish and patrolling reef sharks. We hooked in for a while and watched some reef sharks cruising by. After we unhooked we discovered a moray eel and a green turtle napping. Another wonderful dive. Then the dive bell beckoned and Blue Corner was next. This popular dive showcases much of the best Palau has to offer. From the get go we were greeted by a plethora of black snappers, barracuda and blue lined snapper on the edge of the wall. As we reached the plateau it was time to arm the reef hook and anchor in to enjoy the show. Black tip reek sharks and white tip reef sharks making rather close passes. These majestic creatures glided without effort into this moderate current. Then out of the blue a rather affable napoleon wrasse beckoned for attention as he make his way to each of us. After a while we unhooked to explore more of the plateau. The wrasse followed. On the plateau we came across turtle, grouper, a massive school of pyramid butterfly fish and countless anthias and other reef fish. Unfortunately this amazing dive had to end at some point; after all it was time to eat again

Wednesday
Then we took a plunge into German Channel. We had great photo opportunities with the pink anemone with anemone fish and then headed to the manta cleaning station. Then the manta action started. Overhead large silhouettes appeared. These graceful creatures were feeding and as they did they performed playful barrel rolls. They remained with us for a while, continuously flying out of sight and returning. Then we found ourselves enveloped by snapper with trevally and black tip reef sharks circling a large school of snapper and us it seemed. Superb! After the manta encounters we took a leisurely drift down the channel and watched the beautiful coral garden pass below us. The famous German Channel did not disappoint. Then it was time to explore the Blue Holes. A stone throw away from Blue Corner, Blue Holes is an awesome chamber with skylights overhead allowing streams of sunrays in. We perused the chamber looking for little critters and then headed to the corner. We were accompanied by a turtle; white tip reef shark and wall-to-wall pyramid butterfly fish. Turtle Cove was next. This dive has something for everyone. We started the dive penetrating a chimney that popped us out at 70 foot off the wall. Then we discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors. Then as the dive site name suggests the turtles came out to play. Green and hawks bill turtles were swimming off the wall, some feeding and some taking their afternoon nap. Some hammock time followed and then we splashed into Ferns Wall. This lovely site is a shear wall with soft coral and sea fans covering the wall. Some little critters call this home. Nudis, flatworms long nose hawkfish and numerous tropical fish. Another fantastic dive!

Thursday
We started the day with an encore dive at German Channel. One manta greeted us followed by some great bait ball action with sharks and trevally attacking them from all angles. This was an awesome site. We followed again with a gentle drift down the channel. A quick snack was followed by a dive to Virgin Blue Holes. This long chimney sets the stage for a great dive. Once we exited the hole we explored the amazing canyons along the wall. Sharks cruised by and a plethora of tropical fish swam by us. This was a very enjoyable dive! Lunch was served and then the dive bell rang. We headed back to Blue Corner. There was similar action as our earlier dive here with a larger school of jacks swirling around us and then the sharks moved in. We then explored the plateau to find sleeping white tip sharks that scurried away as we approached them. Then our friendly napoleon wrasse appeared beckoning for attention, which he duly received. We came across a big school of barracuda, blue line snapper and black snapper. Another wonderful experience at the corner. For our late afternoon delight we explored the wonders of Big Drop Off. This shear wall offered colors galore. Soft corals and fans were painted every color imaginable. The life was abounding with butterfly fish and angelfish going about their daily routine. This was a great drift dive.

Friday
Morning broke and we enjoyed the underwater sights of Ulong Channel. We returned by popular demand. The famous channel produced sharks and jacks cruising by the mouth of the channel. As we reached the channel there seemed to be no current but the show continued with reef sharks coming in pretty close. After watching the action for some time we headed into the channel and enjoyed the prolific coral life. After a little hammock time the dive bell beckoned. Siaes Tunnel was next. This amazing dive offers both a beautiful tunnel formation and incredible wall in one dive. We started off in the tunnel exploring almost every nook and cranny for little critters. We managed to find the elusive pigmy blue back butterfly fish and a few flatworms. Then as we swam out of the tunnel a whole new world opened up. The wall was rich with colors and fish life. Schools of snapper, anthias and barracuda were waiting for us. When we returned the Palau Aggressor Mexican cantina was open. A little down time was followed by Siaes Corner. This awesome dive started with good visibility and not long after we descended a turtle appeared and remained with us for the better part of the dive. Out of the blue a large eagle ray majestically swam by us followed by some shark action just off the wall. We discovered a couple of coral crabs and a moray to end this lovely dive. For our late afternoon plunge we headed to Ulong Gardens. As the name suggests, the coral life found at this site is phenomenal. Again we were greeted with great visibility and prolific coral formations from tabletop corals to soft corals in every imaginable color. A large bait ball caught our attention and then a spectacular jellyfish drifting in the blue had everyone mesmerized. This wonderful dive concluded the days diving. Dinner and a movie followed where we reminisced fondly on what a wonderful week we had.

Saturday
Our day starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. These non-stinging jellies were so thick you could hardly see the person next to you. It felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. Getting our jellyfish fix we decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy before continuing you dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

We would like to congratulate Thomas on his birthday and Paul & Lisa for completing their 100th dive and David for completing his 200th dive with us on the Palau Aggressor.

So the week comes to a close. All of us here on the Palau Aggressor wish our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way. Happy 2013!
Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Jan 16, 2013

Palau Aggressor Captains Report January 6-13, 2013

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 82-87º F
Visibility: 60110+ feet
Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Agnes, John, Hector & Andy

Sunday
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us. The Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard Yuri, Stas & Tonya, Mike & Kate, Greg &, Jonathan & Renee, and Vivian & Cam. Acquaintances were made during a delightful dinner and then we followed with the safety orientation. Everyone then enjoyed a peaceful nights rest.

Monday
With flat calm seas the Palau Aggressor set course for Carp Island. For our first dive we splashed into German Channel. The dive started with a visit to the amazing pink anemone with the playful anemone fish then we ventured toward the channel. We stopped at the cleaning station to visit the mantas. After waiting for about 5 minutes, 2 marvelous mantas graced us with their presence cruising gracefully above us. Then we found ourselves enveloped by snapper with trevally and black tip reef sharks circling a large school of snapper. After all the frantic activity we decided to take a leisurely cruise and drift into the channel to witness a vast array of colorful corals and giant clams. Superb! The famous German Channel did not disappoint. This was a nice relaxing check out dive to start the week. We returned to the yacht for a snack and a little hammock time and then headed out to Ngemelis Wall. There we discovered nudibranchs, flatworms and a scorpion fish along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral with turtles cruising by us. Chef Cameron had a scrumptious lunch waiting for our return. A little down time followed and then the dive bell rang. Blue Corner was next. With beautiful visibility, Blue Corner lived up to its reputation. Initially a casual swim along the stunning wall as we headed toward the hook in area. Along the way the hustle and bustle of giant trevally, barracuda, snapper and pyramid butterfly fish made our heads spin. Then the white tip sharks appeared followed by some large grey reef sharks, both making extremely close passes. To take full advantage of the beauty of Blue Corner with its known current we anchored ourselves to the edge of the wall with our reef hooks. We easily set-up our hooks that allowed us to effortlessly enjoy the magic that the current presents. Sharks, barracuda, turtles, trevally and various snapper love the nutrient rich flowing water and we were right in the middle of it. Then our friend the napoleon wrasse made an appearance. Very approachable, this affable wrasse with its puppy dog eyes makes its rounds to every one of us and made some new friends. A quick snack and we were off diving again. This marvelous dive has a nice shallow reef that slopes with finger-like coral structures. Everyone chose their comfortable depth to explore this beautiful array of hard and soft corals. Nudibranchs and flat worms came out for a leisurely stroll on the reef and a turtle, unperturbed by our presence, casually swam by. Then we came across a cuttle fish that received much attention from all the divers. What a fantastic day in Palau!

Tuesday
A beautiful morning broke and it was time for the famous Blue Holes. A stone throw away from Blue Corner, Blue Holes is an awesome chamber with skylights overhead allowing streams of light rays in. We perused the chamber looking for little critters and found the disco clams that started everyone moving like John Travolta. As we headed out of the holes we were greeted by wall-to-wall pyramid butterfly fish. After a delectable lunch the dive bell beckoned. New Drop Off was up next. This dive site is considered by some as the mini Blue Corner. We descended on to a beautiful wall with a forest of soft corals and sea fans. As we approached the hook in area it seemed almost overwhelming to see so many fish. We hooked in and enjoyed the show. Sharks came cruising by us very swiftly and close. Barracuda and tropical fish were abound. We then unhooked and enjoyed the company of a few turtles. This certainly was an adrenaline flowing dive. It was now time for lunch and then back to the water. Turtle Cove was calling. This amazing little dive site has a little something for everyone. We started off by descending down a chimney starting at 10 feet and opened up to the wall around 65 feet. Here we found nudibranchs, flatworms and a well-camouflaged scorpion fish. Further along the wall we discovered a forest of soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors making this a photographers dream. Eventually we headed up to the plateau and found a plethora of black snapper followed by barracuda, anthias, butterfly fish and as the dive sites name suggests, a cruising turtle was also seen. Snack time followed and then the dive bell beckoned. We splashed into Ferns Wall. With lovely visibility this was another fantastic dive. Here we enjoyed the beauty along the wall that consisted of an arrangement of stunning soft colors in shades of pink, purple, yellows and oranges. Nudibranchs and flatworms were out and about and we saw a turtle cruising by. A delightful dive and another great day comes to a close.

Wednesday
We started our day making passage to Peleliu. This beautiful sheer wall with its unmistakable yellow polyps provided us with a lot to explore. Sharks cruised by us along the wall with pyramid butterfly fish and anthias scattered around us. A friendly green turtle joined us for a stroll along the reef while hundreds of fusiliers danced with the morning sunrays. This was a wonderful way to start the day. We then decided to stretch our legs a bit and go on a tour of Peleliu. This exceptionally interesting tour took us back to September 1944 when the US Marines stormed the beaches of Peleliu. Our guide Godwin had a wealth of information to share with us and showed us the US & Japanese memorial, amtracks, guns, Orange Beach and the 1000 man caves. What a touching tour. Lunch and a little nap and it was time to visit Orange Beach. This stunning sloping wall was filled with color and macro critters. We discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the coral garden before a turtle causally swam by and hardly even noticed this gaggle of divers admiring him. Then we spotted the unusual crocodile fish that was well photographed. Snack and hammock time followed and the dive bell rang again. Barracks Point was our next choice. Here we simply enjoyed a relaxing drift along the sloping bottom and came across a few anchors, turtles and schooling snapper. We also discovered the giant clams and a large school of barracuda. This was a fabulous way to end the day.

Thursday
A beautiful day dawned during a scrumptious breakfast. To take full advantage of the currents and exclusivity of one of the worlds best dive. Blue Corner to ourselves proved to be an amazing experience. With a mild current flowing it was like visiting grand central station. The hustle and bustle of life was astounding and made our heads spin. Sharks, massive schools of jacks and barracuda, giant trevally and red snappers were literally everywhere along the edge of the wall. Our friendly napoleon came to say hello and a hawksbill turtle sat down for dinner and hard coral buffet was on the menu. This must be why Blue Corner is considered one of the worlds best dive sites. Then we headed to the Virgin Blue Holes. This unique dive started off with a swim down a chimney that then turned into a tunnel that headed toward the wall. As we exited the hole we came across beautiful topography with canyons and swim throughs. As we cruised along the amazing wall we were taken aback by the gin clear water and glistening sun rays that lit up the reef. Here sharks patrolled the wall with pyramid butterfly fish and anthias scattered like wallpaper in the azure blue. After some hammock time and a snack we headed to Big Drop Off. We hopped in and followed the current along this colorful wall. Soft corals and tubestria along with red fern-like coral turned our heads as we looked out for macro life. We discovered nudibranchs and flat worms crawling on some coral and the occasional shark cruised below us aimlessly patrolling the wall. Because we had such a great dive at German Channel the day before, we decided to go back. With similar action as before we also encountered 3 mantas feeding. They remained with us for about 35 minutes performing aerial acrobatics that would be comparable to professional stunt pilots at an air show. Barrel rolls were the stunt of choice with the occasional extreme close flyby. Then we enjoyed a leisurely drift down the channel. This was a very memorable experience.

Friday
A beautiful day broke over Ulong Island. Siaes Tunnel was our first dive. This amazing dive offers both a beautiful tunnel formation and incredible wall in one dive. We started off in the tunnel exploring almost every nook and cranny for little critters. We managed to find the elusive pigmy blue back butterfly fish and a few flatworms. Then as we swam out of the tunnel a whole new world opened up. The wall was rich with colors and fish life. Schools of snapper, anthias and barracuda were waiting for us. A little down time was followed by Siaes Corner. This awesome dive started with good visibility and not long after we descended a turtle appeared and remained with us for the better part of the dive. We discovered a couple of coral crabs and a moray to end this lovely dive. When we returned the Palau Aggressor Pizzeria was open. Some hammock time was followed by the famous Ulong Channel. The famous channel lived up to its reputation with plenty sharks cruising by the mouth of the channel as we anchored ourselves in with our reef hooks. The show was busy and once we saw 20 minutes of pelagic action it was time for a ride down the channel. We saw sleeping white tips in the sand and a hawksbill turtle swam by. The most prolific coral life in Palau was seen on the magical ride with tabletop corals galore and beautiful soft corals paving the way for us down the channel. Then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive followed by two beautifully set giant clams. This dive was so well received that an encore dive seemed appropriate. An exquisite sunset followed this amazing dive and end to a fine days diving. After dinner we all enjoyed watching the wonderful weeks diving from the video pros studio.

Saturday
Another gorgeous morning broke and our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. This stratified marine lake houses the unique non-stinging jellies. They were everywhere you looked and it felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. After getting our jellyfish fix we headed back to Koror and meandered through the rock islands and stopped at the famous archway for a photo shoot. Then back to diving. We decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy or take some photos before continuing your dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

So the week comes to a close. We wish to congratulate Greg for completing his 300th dive and photo class with Jonathan and Renee! All of us here on the Palau Aggressor wish all our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!

Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Jan 29, 2013

Palau Aggressor II and the Jacoby Group Conduct Revolutionary Research at Sea
Captains Report Jan 13 20, 2013

PALAU On January 13, 2013, Jim Jacoby and the Jacoby Group chartered the Palau Aggressor II with Professor Leonid Moroz to conduct a study on Genomics of ocean organisms. This study may impact Neuroscience and provide a better understanding of our own neurological system. The primary goal was to capture the genomes of a variety of marine organisms.

Jim Jacoby is a developer from Atlanta with a reputation for ecological developments. He is currently involved in multiple projects including The International SeaKeepers Society that conduct marine research where private yacht owners donate time on their vessels for scientific research. In return they receive tax benefits and get a chance to be involved in the forefront of marine science research. He is also working to create a TV series called the Race to Save the Species. This series will take place on a yacht with scientists doing their research. All Jims endeavors have the same common theme, the preservation of earths species.

Dr Leonid Moroz is a professor at the University of Florida. Professor Moroz is an Evolutionary Neurobiologist and an expert at single cell genomics. This study of genomics used to be extremely expensive and took months to process, but with the latest technology in genome sequencers, it has become a more viable study. Jim has funded 1 of only 3 of its kind in the world and genomes can now be processed in as little as 2 hours while on a research yacht.

The Palau Aggressor II set sail from Koror on a weeklong expedition. The yacht provided luxury accommodation, 5-star cuisine and all the modern comforts so that the scientists could easily concentrate on the research. The first day was spent at Ulong Island. Ulong provided some amazing diving and Ulong Channel was a favorite for most. The coral reef here offered amazing biodiversity and healthy corals. Prolific tabletop corals, soft corals and lettuce corals were but a few of the many species represented here. Sharks and humphead parrotfish were abundant also. For research purposes, many cone shells and nudibranchs were documented. After a fantastic day at Ulong we made passage into the unique rock islands. The night dive proved to be very successful with nudibranchs and flatworms found and documented. Nudibranchs have some of the most interesting neurological systems, some with fused systems and others without. The also have relatively large neurons, which make studying them easier. A Ctenophore was also found which delighted Dr Moroz. Dr Moroz was hoping, but not expecting to sample Ctenophores. Ctenophores are jellyfish like creatures that have excellent regeneration capabilities. It is the understanding of the mechanism or molecules responsible for this regeneration that they are looking to study.

Then a visit to Palaus famous Blue Corner was in order. A plethora of fish diversity awaited us with grey reef sharks and white tip reef sharks being abundant. A friendly napoleon wrasse beckoned for our attention. This was a world-class dive. The night dive at Turtle Cove proved productive with many species found including some new to science as Dr Moroz puts it.

The Palau Aggressor II also made a trip down to Peleliu to pay homage to the US Marines who bravely fought the Japanese in 1944. After a touching tour we returned to marine research with more species found at the Barnums Wall off of Carp Island. We had much success in the rock islands and so returned there for more studies. This idyllic setting of natural beauty was a favorite among all guests. More great species were documented including plankton, fish larvae as well as cone shell larvae. The famous Jelly Fish Lake was also visited on this expedition.

As Jim puts it, this week was the B-roll for his future venture of the Race to Save the Species. Many species were documented and at least 20 new species found. Genome sequencing will be conducted by Dr Morozs lab in a quest to better understand the mysteries behind our complex neurological system. As Captain of the Palau Aggressor I am privileged and honored to be part of such groundbreaking research and encourage you all to join therace to save the species.

Capt. Marc Povec

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Aggressor Adventures · Feb 4, 2013

Palau Aggressor Trip Report January 27 - February 3, 2013

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 75-86º F
Visibility: 30 100+ feet
Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Agnes, Ben, Emma & Hector.

Sunday
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us and the Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard Ken and his faithful followers Jason, Dan, Randy, Bob, Dave S, Rd, Jennifer U, David F, Janet, Ken H, Dave P, Scott, Ces, Jennifer W, Steve B & Steve B (not related). After a quick orientation, our guests acquainted themselves with the yacht and each other and then received a peaceful nights rest.

Monday
Weary bodies started appearing to enjoy Chef Camerons breakfast spread that would fuel our bodies for a great days diving. The Helmet Wreck welcomed us with calm conditions. On the wreck we found an immense amount of soft and hard coral growth that housed nudibranchs, crabs & shrimp. We had much to explore including of course the wreck itself. What a fantastic checkout dive. The wreck of the Iro Maru then gained our attention with anemone fish and nudibranchs taking the center stage. This 470-foot wreck allowed us to spread out and explore many nooks and crannies. The bow gun is quite impressive once your eyes make it out from all the encrusted coral growth on it; another lovely wreck dive.
During a scrumptious lunch we journeyed over to Omekang Island. We took a plunge into German Channel. We started at the beautiful pink anemone. It was not long before we found ourselves enjoying majestic mantas feeding. These graceful creatures were doing barrel rolls continuously as they scooped up the plankton. Unperturbed by our presence they almost barrel rolled into us on occasions. This was a wonderful experience. Then we continued the dive and found ourselves enveloped by snapper with trevally and grey reef sharks circling us. Simply superb! The famous German Channel did not disappoint. We then splashed into Ngemelis Wall for a nice casual wall dive. This wall is like an artists pallet with splashes of color everywhere. The soft coral and sea fans were so abundant that it was hard to find the little critters living there. But we did. Nudis, flatworms and many crustaceans were spotted on the amazing wall dive. What a way to start our Palauan adventure.

Tuesday
Our next dive adventure took us to Blue Corner. This popular dive showcases much of the best Palau has to offer. From the get go we were greeted by a plethora of black snappers, barracuda and blue lined snapper on the edge of the wall. As we reached the plateau it was time to arm the reef hook and anchor in to enjoy the show. With a fairly mild current, we did not find the need to hook in. Then grey reef sharks and white tip reef sharks started making rather close passes. Then out of the blue a rather affable napoleon wrasse beckoned for attention as he make his way to each of us. We continued exploring the plateau and the wrasse followed. On the plateau we came across turtles, grouper, a massive school of pyramid butterfly fish and countless anthias and other reef fish. Unfortunately this amazing dive had to end at some point; after all it was time to eat again.

A quick bite to eat and we were off to Turtle Cove. This dive has something for everyone. We started the dive penetrating a chimney that popped us out at 70 foot off the wall. Then we discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors. Then as the dive site name suggests the turtles came out to play. Green and hawksbill turtles were swimming off the wall, feeding and some taking their afternoon nap. Then it was our turn. After a little snack break we were off to New Drop Off. After practicing our hook-in techniques at Blue Corner this was a breeze. This dive, considered a mini-Blue Corner by some, offers fantastic pelagic action. On this occasion it was no different. With crystal clear water we descended into a thick school of pyramid butterfly fish and patrolling reef sharks. We hooked in for a while and watched the giant sharks cruising and then enjoyed a casual drift along the plateau. This lovely wall provided us with amazing coral and nudibranchs, crabs and large schools of anthias, snapper and jacks just off the wall. We enjoyed another brilliant days diving.

Wednesday
Morning broke with calm conditions and a wonderful sunrise saw the Palau Aggressor make passage to Peleliu Island. West Wall was up first. This stunning wall, which is very sheer, is filled with color and macro critters. We discovered a well camouflaged scorpion fish along the wall before a turtle causally swam by and hardly even noticed this gaggle of divers admiring him. Some sharks were spotted down off the wall and turtles came out to play. We also found a little porcelain crab crawling around in his anemone home.

It was snack time and we then decided to stretch our legs a bit and go on a tour of Peleliu. This exceptionally interesting tour took us back in time to September 1944 when the US Marines stormed the beaches of Peleliu. Our guide Godwin had a wealth of knowledge to share with us and showed us the US & Japanese memorial, amtracks, guns, Orange Beach and the 1000 man caves. Snack and hammock time followed and the dive bell rang again. Peleliu Corner was our next dive of the day. Famous for its strong currents, Peleliu Corner is not for the faint hearted. Cruising along the wall, we were at the mercy of a pretty good current and simply enjoyed the life that passed us by. We hooked in and enjoyed the show. Grey reef sharks were making some close passes. When we unhooked we started cruising along the plateau for a quick glimpse of the life it holds. This sure was a thrilling dive and we discovered first hand why they call this dive the Express. Lunch and a little nap and our next adventure take us to Orange Beach, the dive site. Yet again we splashed into astounding visibility and enjoyed a rather relaxing drift along the sloping bottom. Turtles seemed to be out and about as we enjoyed the beautiful coral and bottom formations with some remnants of landing crafts, shells and bombs. For our nighttime delight we dived into Turtle Cove and we were treated to nudis and crabs. This ends another lovely days diving in Palau.

Thursday
A beautiful morning greeted us and after a scrumptious breakfast the skiff was directed back to Blue Corner. Not too much current awaited us at the corner but the life was never less up and about for the day. The first critter to bid us good morning was our friendly napoleon wrasse. Then the barracuda came out followed by some reef sharks and big schools of snapper and jacks. Turtles were having breakfast and were not in the least bit concerned with our presence. This was another fantastic dive on the corner. Snack and hammock time and then the dive bell beckoned.

Blue Holes was up next. With good conditions we descended into the holes on the reef that lead to one large chamber. Beautiful light rays showered down on us through the holes creating a surreal atmosphere. Disco clams were spotted. After exploring the holes we headed toward the famous Blue Corner. This stunning wall produced pyramid butterfly fish and cruising grey reef sharks. We ended up at Blue Corner as the outgoing current enticed us rather conveniently across this lively plateau. Snack and hammock time was followed by the beckoning dive bell. Dexters was next. This beautiful dive greeted us with gin clear water and a plethora of reef fish. Then the meander along the wall was quite an adventure with beautiful coral formations and more swim throughs and channels. What a great dive. After lunch we enjoyed Ferns Wall. This peaceful dive with its sheer wall graced us with turtle, nudibranchs and balled up anemones with playful anemone fish. A green turtle was then spotted on his sea fan hammock watching the world go by. Another wonderful days diving!

Friday
The Palau Aggressor made an uneventful passage over to Ulong Island, which set the stage for an amazing days diving! We started to day the right way with a trip over to the famous Ulong Channel. The famous channel lived up to its reputation with sharks, jacks and bait balls cruising by the mouth of the channel as we anchored ourselves with our reef hooks. The show was busy and once we saw 20 minutes of pelagic action it was time for a ride down the channel. Sleeping white tips in the sand scurried as we approached them. The most prolific coral life in Palau was seen on the magical ride down the channel. Groupers darted into their coral homes as we whizzed by and then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive.

We then decided to head out to Siaes Tunnel. This amazing dive offers both a beautiful tunnel formation and incredible wall in one dive. We started off in the tunnel exploring almost every little crack for little critters. Then as we swam out of the tunnel a whole new world opened up. The wall was rich with colors and fish life. Schools of snapper, anthias and barracuda were waiting for us. Photographers were delighted to be in the middle of all the action. Time then for lunch and the dive bell beckoned all the divers for some more of Palaus under water wonders. We visited Siaes Corner. The plethora of fish life found on this dive was bewildering. It started with a feeding turtle, some black snappers, and plenty juvenile sharks playing in mid water. Then we took leisurely cruise down the wall and onto the plateau followed with rainbow runners and blue snappers enveloping us. After a quick break we splashed into Ulong Coral Gardens. This relaxing dive started off in the channel where we enjoyed the beautiful coral formations and scurrying reef sharks. With plenty of life, we again were spoilt with a great dive. Dinner and a movie followed where we reminisced fondly on what a wonderful week we had.

Saturday
Our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. These non-stinging jellies were so thick you could hardly see the person next to you. It felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. Getting our jellyfish fix we decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy before continuing you dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

We would like to congratulate Donna for completing her 100th dive, and Dan for completing his 300th dive while onboard the Palau Aggressor. So the week comes to a close. All of us here on the Palau Aggressor wish our friends from Deep Blue Dive Center in Indiana a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!

Capt. Marc

Aggressor Adventures · Feb 11, 2013

Palau Aggressor Captains Report February 3-10, 2013

Water temp: 81º F
Air Temp: 75-86º F
Visibility: 30 100+ feet

Crew: Capt. Marc, Chef Cameron, Agnes, Ben, Emma, Andy & Hector
Sunday
A wonderful week of Palauan diving has dawned upon us and the Palau Aggressor is happy to welcome onboard John & Autumn, Mihail & Natalia, Leonid & Irina, Jacque, Jim & Rosemary, Peter, Gordon, and Sam & Nigel. After a quick orientation, our guests acquainted themselves with the yacht and each other and then received a peaceful nights rest.

Monday
Weary bodies started appearing to enjoy Chef Camerons breakfast spread that would fuel our bodies for a great days diving. The Helmet Wreck welcomed us with calm conditions. On the wreck we found an immense amount of soft and hard coral growth that housed nudibranchs, crabs & shrimp. We had much to explore including of course the wreck itself. What a fantastic checkout dive. The wreck of the Iro Maru then gained our attention with anemone fish and nudibranchs taking the center stage. This 470-foot wreck allowed us to spread out and explore many nooks and crannies. The bow gun is quite impressive once your eyes make it out from all the encrusted coral growth on it. Another lovely wreck dive.

During a scrumptious lunch we journeyed over to Omekang Island to explore the wonders of Ngemelis Wall. This shear wall looked like an artist pallet splashed with stunning color. The soft corals were painted with pastel pinks, purples, yellows and oranges. Sea fans that stretched out off the wall sheltered the stealthy long nose hawk fish. Then we took a plunge into Ferns Wall. What a way to start our Palauan adventure.

Tuesday
Blue Holes was up first. With good conditions we descended into the holes on the reef that lead to one large chamber. Beautiful light rays showered down on us through the holes creating a surreal atmosphere. Disco clams were spotted. After exploring the holes we headed toward the famous Blue Corner. This stunning wall produced pyramid butterfly fish and cruising grey reef sharks. Snack and hammock time was followed by the beckoning dive bell.

Our next dive adventure took us to New Drop Off. This dive, considered a mini Blue Corner by some, offers fantastic pelagic action. On this occasion it was no different. With crystal clear water we descended into a thick school of pyramid butterfly fish and patrolling reef sharks. With little current we enjoyed a casual drift along the plateau. This lovely reef provided us with amazing coral and nudibranchs, crabs and large schools of anthias, snapper and jacks just off the wall. Many turtles came out to play. A quick bite to eat and we were off to Turtle Cove. This dive has something for everyone. We started the dive penetrating a chimney that popped us out at 70 foot off the wall. Then we discovered nudibranchs and flatworms along the wall. Further along the wall we found ourselves in a forest of beautiful soft coral exhibiting a kaleidoscope of colors. Then as the dive site name suggests the turtles came out to play. Green and hawksbill turtles were swimming off the wall, feeding and some taking their afternoon nap. Then it was our turn.

Some hammock time was needed and then it was time to explore Blue Corner. This popular dive showcases much of the best Palau has to offer. From the get go we were greeted by a plethora of black snappers, barracuda and blue lined snapper on the edge of the wall. With a fairly mild current, we did not find the need to hook in. Then grey reef sharks and white tip reef sharks started making rather close passes. Out of the blue a large school of orange spine surgeonfish buzzed past with grey reef sharks hot on their tails. What a sight! Then our rather affable napoleon wrasse beckoned for attention as he make his way to each of us. We continued exploring the plateau. The wrasse followed. On the plateau we came across turtle, grouper, a massive school of pyramid butterfly fish and countless anthias and other reef fish. Unfortunately this amazing dive had to end at some point; after all it was time to eat again. We enjoyed another brilliant days diving.

Wednesday
Morning broke with calm conditions and a wonderful sunrise saw the Palau Aggressor make passage to Peleliu Island. Peleliu Corner was our first dive of the day. Famous for its strong currents, Peleliu Corner is not for the faint hearted. Cruising along the wall, we were at the mercy of a mild current and simply enjoyed the life that passed us by. We hooked in to enjoy the shark action. Dory from 'Finding Nemo' was also spotted on the famous Peleliu Corner.

It was snack time and we then decided to stretch our legs a bit and go on a tour of Peleliu. This exceptionally interesting tour took us back in time to September 1944 when the US Marines stormed the beaches of Peleliu. Our guide Godwin had a wealth of knowledge to share with us and showed us the US & Japanese memorial, amtracks, guns, Orange Beach and the 1000 man caves. Snack and hammock time followed and the dive bell rang again.

West Wall was next. This stunning wall, which is very sheer, is filled with color and macro critters. The tomato anemone gained our attention with porcelain crabs and anemone fish playing peek-a-boo with us. Lunch and a little nap and our next adventure takes us to Barracks Point. Yet again we splashed into astounding visibility and enjoyed a rather relaxing drift along the sloping bottom. Turtles seemed to be out and about as we enjoyed the beautiful coral and bottom formations. For our nighttime delight we dived into Ngedebus Coral Gardens and we were treated to nudis and crabs. This ends another lovely days diving in Palau.

Thursday
Virgin Blue Holes was our first adventure of the day. This dive started with a swim through chimney that popped us out on the wall at 85 feet. Then the meander along the wall was quite an adventure with beautiful coral formations and more swim throughs and channels. What a great dive. After a scrumptious snack we enjoyed Dexters Wall. This peaceful dive with its sheer wall graced us with turtle, nudibranchs and anemones with playful anemone fish. Some counted 12 turtles on this dive! Hammock time followed and then the dive bell beckoned.

An encore dive at Blue Corner was in order. We descended into a massive school of jacks and once they cleared our friendly Napoleons greeted us. The sharks action continued and turtles were again out to play. We also had a double moray encounter as 2 moray eels shared the same little hole. Many photos were taken. We hooked in for a while and enjoyed the snapper school with sharks casually cruising by them. German Channel was next. We started our dive inside the channel and explored the cleaning station. Then we explored the mouth of the channel and found shrimp gobys with their symbiotic partners the bulldozer shrimps. The large school of snapper was again circled by grey reef sharks and trevally. This ended another wonderful days diving!

Friday
We started to day the right way with a trip over to Siaes Tunnel. This amazing dive offers both a beautiful tunnel formation and incredible wall in one dive. We started off in the tunnel exploring almost every little crack for little critters. Then as we swam out of the tunnel a whole new world opened up. The wall was rich with colors and fish life. Schools of snapper, anthias and barracuda were waiting for us. Photographers were delighted to be in the middle of all the action. Time then for a snack and the dive bell beckoned all the divers for some more of Palaus under water wonders. Siaes Corner was next. The plethora of fish life found on this dive was bewildering. With a mild current in the beginning of the dive we could easily position ourselves to where the best action was. It started with a feeding turtle, some black snappers, and plenty sharks. A leisurely cruise down the wall and onto the plateau followed with rainbow runners, pyramid butterfly fish and blue snappers enveloping us. Lunch followed and then it was time to dive again.

Ulong Channel was the obvious choice for our next under water adventure. The famous channel lived up to its reputation. We hooked in at the mouth of the channel and enjoyed the shark show for a while before our drift down the channel. The most prolific coral life in Palau was seen on the magical ride. Groupers darted into their coral homes as we whizzed by and then we came across a massive patch of lettuce coral that was simply impressive. Then we came across 2 beautifully set giant clams. This was a thoroughly enjoyable dive. For our last adventure of the day we visited Ulong Coral Gardens. We enjoyed some of Palaus best hard corals with numerous table corals and staghorn. Soft corals were also quite prolific. What a great dive! Dinner and a movie followed where we reminisced fondly on what a wonderful week we had.

Saturday
Our adventure starts with the surreal experience of Jellyfish Lake. These non-stinging jellies were so thick you could hardly see the person next to you. It felt like we were in another world as we snorkeled around these pulsating critters. Getting our jellyfish fix we decided to enjoy yet another different experience with Chandelier Caves. Only 18 feet deep or so this cave has four chambers that have air spaces where you can pop up and have a chat to your buddy before continuing your dive. Exploring these caves was a wonderful way to end an already fantastic weeks diving in Palau.

All of us here on the Palau Aggressor wish our friends a safe trip home and a speedy return to eating, sleeping and diving the Aggressor way!

Sulang!
Capt. Marc

Palau Aggressor II Captain's Logs

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